Gaylord Specialty Healthcare’s Interventional Pain Center Offers Non-Surgical, Non-Opioid Options for Pai

WALLINGFORD, CT – Gaylord Specialty Healthcare is offering patients new, targeted, non-surgical, non-opioid treatments for persistent pain through its new Interventional Pain Center in Wallingford.

“For many people, persistent pain reshapes daily life, from the activities they avoid, to the work and sleep they struggle with,” says Dr. Annette Macannuco-Winslow, a Pain Management Specialist with three decades of advanced clinical expertise.

“Our goal is to help patients feel, move, and function better without jumping to surgery or opioids. Most people don’t want those paths, and many don’t need them.”

Dr. Macannuco-Winslow focuses on pinpointing the specific source of a patient’s pain, not just masking it.

“Persistent back pain, for example, is extremely common, but only two or three percent of people truly require surgery,” she explains.

“The first step is always diagnosis. Back pain can come from the disc, facet joints, SI or sacroiliac joint, nerves, or muscles. Each needs a different treatment.”

The Center also treats musculoskeletal, neck, nerve, joint, and myofascial pain and treats complex regional pain syndrome, headache and migraine, as well as pain related to spinal cord or brain injuries, and more. Patients typically receive a comprehensive evaluation during their first visit, with procedures performed during a follow-up appointment.

Lead Physician Assistant Anton Cherry, PA-C, says minimally invasive procedures – such as epidural steroid injections, facet joint injections / medial branch blocks, sacroiliac (SI) joint injections, nerve block injections, radiofrequency ablation, trigger point injections, joint/ligament/tendon/bursa injections, Botox for migraine and headache relief, and more – are often paired with Gaylord’s outpatient physical therapy to help patients maximize and maintain results.

He referenced one patient, a Gaylord Hospital nurse who also serves as a volunteer EMT and firefighter, whose physically demanding work led to significant back pain.

“Through targeted injections paired with physical therapy, she has been able to find significant relief, stay active, and avoid surgery,” he said.

To learn more, visit www.gaylord.org/pain-center or call (203) 284-2825 for appointments or information.

About Gaylord Specialty Healthcare:

Gaylord Specialty Healthcare is a rehabilitation-focused, nonprofit health system headquartered in Wallingford, Connecticut that provides inpatient and outpatient care for people at every point in their journey from illness or injury to maximum recovery.

Gaylord Specialty Healthcare is anchored by Gaylord Hospital, a long-term acute care hospital, and includes Gaylord Outpatient Services and Gaylord Physical Therapy for patients who require diagnosis and treatment. Gaylord’s Milne Institute for Healthcare Innovation is a hub for accelerating world-class rehabilitative research, technology development, and innovation to improve the quality of life and function of people around the world. Together, these entities deliver a complete continuum of rehabilitative care driven by clinical experience, innovation, and human compassion. Learn more at www.gaylord.org.