Richard Carroll

Richard Carroll is a self-described “sports junkie” and four-decade veteran of the fire service. Over the years of climbing in and out of helicopters as a flight medic, his knees have taken a beating.

He had his first knee surgery 37 years ago, but due to continued wear-and-tear on the joint, several orthopedic surgeons have told him he needs a total knee replacement—something Richard does not want to do yet.

So he turned to Jess Salinas, Jr., M.D., in National Spine and Pain Centers’ affiliated office in Lake Mary, FL. Dr. Salinas provided Richard with pain relief through non-surgical options. “Any time you can delay or maybe even omit a surgical procedure, I think that's a good thing,” he said.

Although Richard recognizes that knee surgery may still be in his future, his care under Dr. Salinas has alleviated his pain to the point that he is even able to play jai alai again—which he once played professionally.

He understands that some people dread the thought of injections or needles. “The idea of a needle even kind of worries me a little bit,” he admits. “But if your option is either stay in continuous pain or go through a minimally painful procedure and start down the journey to have that pain reduced or even gone. I think the ends justify the means.”

The more he has learned about minimally invasive treatment options for chronic pain, the more comfortable Richard has become in referring others to the National Spine & Pain Centers network. “They have so many different options you can pursue to try and get relief,” he says. “And any time you can carry on and delay an invasive procedure like surgery, I think, why wouldn't you?”

With short wait times and a friendly staff, Richard says his visits to the National Spine & Pain Centers affiliated office in Lake Mary are always pleasant. “They make me feel very welcome and I notice all the other patients around me are made to feel welcome, too,” he says. “I definitely feel that I'm being treated by experts in their line of medicine who know what they're talking about and they’re always looking into new technology to see what's the newest thing out there to help their patients.”

For Richard, living with less pain started with a call to the National Spine & Pain Centers network. “If you're choosing a place to go, I would definitely recommend coming here because with all the different options they have, they'll find a way to get you out of pain,” he says.