Local doctors are using a new way to treat pain that isn’t forcing the patient to rely on prescription drugs, and it’s allowing them to enjoy their lives again.

At 41, Beth Zimanski looks young healthy and in shape.

“I’m a busy mom of three kids, a working mom running  kids all around – playing, working, taking care of the house.”

And she felt great until 2½  years ago.

“It just made me irritable because I was in pain and then I wasn't sleeping very well,  which made me more irritable,” Zimanski said. “It didn't stop me from functioning, it just made it harder to.”

That's when she began living with chronic pain. She thought it was carpal tunnel syndrome from her work as a controller at a bank.

But a wrist brace and over-the-counter pain medications did not work. Orthopedic  doctors could not figure out what was causing her hand, arms, shoulder and neck to hurt.

So, she came to East Jefferson General Hospital, where doctors have opened a new pain management institute.

“It has always been a high need, but now even more than ever, especially with people having increased stress in their lives,” Dr. Eric Lonseth said. “We find that chronic pain really lashes out. So, you've seen more since Katrina? Absolutely.”

Lonseth, an anesthesiologist and pain management specialist, said there are all sorts of different types of medications to help pain. But his goal is not to medicate the entire body with drugs. That in some cases can become addictive. He tailors a specific treatment plan for each patient and targets the source of the pain.

“Do we all feel pain differently? We do,” Lonseth said. “Everyone has a different response to pain and that's why we really need to target our therapy to individuals.”

He said there are a variety of causes of pain. People of all ages come in with back pain, migraines, Fibromyalgia, nerve pain, pelvic pain, osteoporosis and cancer pain.

“Sometimes we are able to treat pain and cure it completely, and that's very satisfying,” Lonseth said. “Other times, we're just managing it and with a few infrequent visits during the year, we're able to get it under control so that people can participate with the thing they enjoy doing in life.”

In addition to new medications on the market for Fibromyalgia, Lonseth uses treatments such as botox for migraines. He also uses physical therapy and minimally invasive procedures where steroids are injected in the back or where a small implant is that gives out signals that interfere with the pain messages being sent to the brain.

Zimanksi’s problem turned out to be nerve pain which has been treated. And the pain is gone.

"I'm sleeping better,” Zimanski said. “My kids say I'm nicer to them. My husband says I'm nicer to him. It's just great.”