Wouldn’t we all like to live in a less painful world? That sentiment is one that is valued highly by our new Nurse Practitioner, Krista Radford.
Since July 2018, Krista has worked in Pain Management at DMC Primary Care. She chose to practice within this speciality after focusing on Oncology. “Prior to joining Pain Management, I worked in Oncology. I saw a lot of people really suffer during my time there. It had too many aspects to really focus in. I wanted to specialize in one thing and pain was something that I felt that I could help with more effectively – it was something I could do to make a difference,” said Krista.
The Changing Landscape of Pain Management
Pain Management is a fascinating specialty and it is in the middle of a cerebral shift methodology-wise. Typical Pain Management clients suffer from chronic conditions such as lower back pain, joint pain and fibromyalgia. Others may come in with previous injuries that lead to chronic pain. In the past, it has been the common practice to have these patients take pain medication and remain still, but Krista says that the way they treat these people is rapidly changing for the better.
“As many know pain is very complex and therefore we are seeing that education about pain and movement is actually the best for patients. Our goal as providers is to try educate our patients and get people moving again and get them into more functional lives. We work to facilitate the relaunch of their lives without pain. The future of Pain Management will include less opioid treatments and will hopefully be more about using other modalities like education, physical therapy, stretching, yoga and other treatments that don’t include medications,” said Krista.
Here at DMC Primary Care, we aim to change the way our practitioners assist with pain. We want to remind patients that during a flare up that movement is important. Krista said, “chronic pain flairs do not have to mean laying up in bed all day. At Derry Medical, we want them to push themselves to move, but need to know their limits.”
One important thing to note about Pain Management is that treatments don’t stop when patients leave the Derry Medical facilities. Krista and her teammates are passionate about helping clients maximize the health benefits through everyday life choices. “We try to educate them to manage chronic pain at home through meditation, yoga, stretching and coping mechanisms like finding the joy in life and distractions,” said Krista.
We asked Krista to tell us one thing people should know about her. She responded that she’s a bit of a joker! She said, “I have a humorous personality. I like to make things fun – not always so serious. Once I get to know the patients I try to joke with them because I feel like that helps them with their pain.”
New Hampshire is Home
Krista is very happy to be practicing in New Hampshire. She chose the Derry Pain Management program because she said that she “likes what’s being done with the patients. It’s a good community for them and it has a lot of resources like onsite Education about pain along with yoga, Behavioral and Functional Health options. Also, everyone is very friendly and that definitely translates into the patient care.”
However, in addition to the practical amenities of Derry, Krista likes living locally in New Hampshire for several reasons, not the least of which is nostalgia. She said, “I am originally from Massachusetts and since I was a kid I used to go to New Hampshire with my family. It always felt like home to me.”
That feeling of home is important to Krista as she is currently raising a family. “I have two young kids (three and one) at home and I am very active with them. I like spending a lot of time with my family,” said Krista.
There you have it! If you are seeking a new provider who is interested in making the world a less painful place while making you laugh, consider an appointment with Nurse Practitioner, Krista Radford!
