In the News

ICPR Offers Ultrasound-Guided Injections for Less Painful, More Accurate Treatment of Joint Pain

September 26, 2012 - Illinois Centers for Pain and Rehab (ICPR) is boosting the level of care provided to patients with its newest service, ultrasound-guided injections.

For years, ICPR has offered patients an alternative, non-surgical solution for knee pain associated with osteoarthritis. The revolutionary KNee Arthritis Program (KNAP) – which combines hyaluronan replacement therapy, a personalized physical therapy plan, and a home exercise regimen – has been proven up to 90 percent effective in treating moderate to severe knee pain and can eliminate the need for patients to undergo risky and painful knee replacement surgery. Now, ICPR is taking this a step further by offering ultrasound-guided injections.

“With the help of ultrasound imaging,” Volkan Sumer, DO, said. “I am able to accurately pinpoint the area of treatment. This helps me work around nerves to deliver medicine to the precise point it is needed most. Not only am I able to treat the exact point of inflammation – rendering it more effective – but the procedure itself is more tolerable because of the accuracy of needle placement.”

While this new technique has been used predominantly with KNAP to treat knee arthritis pain, patients with other types of joint and muscle pain are also finding relief at ICPR, including those with neck pain and carpal tunnel syndrome.

Margaret Singleton, a patient who suffers from carpal tunnel syndrome shared her story: "I had severe pain at night, my hands and wrists throbbed. After receiving the injection, I had immediate relief. My hands didn’t even get numb. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I am so thankful."

In addition to KNAP and ultrasound-guided injections, ICPR Family Practice offers complete family medical services – focusing on treating the whole person, not just the symptoms. Those wanting to learn more about the KNAP program and how ICPR can help them live more active lives – without pain – should register to attend a free seminar with Dr. Sumer or call (309) 347-ICPR (4277).
 

Complete Skin Health Solutions Now Available at Sumer Wellness –  an Extension of ICPR Family Practice

September 5, 2012 - ICPR Family Practice continues to treat the whole person with the introduction of Sumer Wellness. Specializing in total body health - inside and out, Sumer Wellness is Pekin’s newest medically based cosmetic wellness center that focuses on skin health.
  
Offering a variety of products and services for the face and body such as chemical peel treatments, microdermabrasion, Botox® cosmetic, Juvederm® dermal filler, PCA Skin® Care and Jane Iredale® Cosmetics, Sumer Wellness is a place for women and men to learn more about products that are good for their skin, improve problematic skin, and find treatments for conditions caused by acne or even chemotherapy.  Sumer Wellness also hopes to increase skin cancer awareness with its complexion analysis scanner.

"My goal in creating Sumer Wellness is to offer services that would be complementary to the family practice," Merry Sumer, PA-C, the main provider of Sumer Wellness services, said. "The focus of Sumer Wellness is to offer treatments beneficial to skin health. These treatments will also help people improve their skin condition and cosmetic appearance and - in some aspects - reduce the risk for skin cancer. My passion behind all of this is to educate patients about the complete package of facial skin care from their daily regimen at home to customized medical grade skin care treatments and even makeup that provides skin care benefits."

Sumer Wellness offers convenient day and evening hours for patients. Appointments can be scheduled Monday and Wednesday, 9 am to 5 pm; Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 am to 6 pm; and Fridays, 9 to noon. All services are provided by Sumer and her highly trained staff. Gift cards are also available.
 

In Home Sleep Diagnotics Now Available in Pekin

February 15, 2012 - Watermark Medical, the developer of the ARES (Apnea Risk Evaluation System), has recently contracted for services with local physician, Dr. Volkan Sumer to offer the latest technology available for In-Home Sleep Diagnostics under the name of ICPR Family Practice, located at 1491 Valle Vista. Recently, as a result of studies, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) changed their national coverage determination to include these devices for home sleep testing for sleep disorders including obstructive sleep apnea. 

‘This marks a momentous step forward for the recognition of  in-home sleep testing as an effective, cost-efficient means of diagnosing sleep-related illnesses,” said Dr.Sumer.  “Thousands of people across Illinois aren’t being tested or treated because of the cost and inconvenience of overnight lab testing and I am very excited to be in a position where we can now reach out to more Physicians and Patients to help and fight these debilitating disorders.”  “We are taking a leadership position in increasing access for diagnosing sleep-related illnesses like Sleep Apnea and it is my hope that if these conditions are diagnosed sooner, patients will receive treatment which could improve their quality of life.”

Sleep Apnea, which affects over 10 million Americans, with an estimated additional 10 million undiagnosed, is characterized by loud snoring interrupted by frequent episodes of totally obstructed breathing (obstructive sleep apnea).  Serious episodes last more than ten seconds each and occur more than seven times per hour. Apnea patients may experience 30 to 300 such events per night.  These episodes can reduce blood oxygen levels, causing the heart to pump harder and over time incur added risk levels for Stroke and Cardiac disorders. This new technology offers patients a cost effective, easy to use and reliable device for the home diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea, useful in diagnosing outcomes for the surgical and non-surgical treatment of obstructive sleep apnea in adults and children. Call (309) 347-4277 or contact us today for more information about this exciting new service.
 

ICPR Enhances Diabetes Program with iPro

August 11, 2011 -  Although Illinois Centers for Pain and Rehab (ICPR) Family Practice has been treating diabetic patients for years, Dr. Volkan Sumer and his staff are strengthening their diabetes program with the new iPro™ Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM), which offers patients a more effective, comfortable way of monitoring glucose levels.

Easy to wear and use, the iPro CGM is a tiny glucose sensor that is easily inserted under the skin in a virtually painless process. The sensor captures glucose levels whether working, playing or sleeping and is fully immersible, so patients can wear it even while bathing or swimming. The continuous monitoring helps provide more accurate assessments which ultimately affect therapy and blood sugar control.

“The sensor gives us an even better picture of patients’ glycemic patterns by testing glucose levels continuously for three days,” Dr. Sumer said. “It’s about the size of a quarter and lies flat against the body so that patients can go about their days normally, without pinpricks or interruption.”

The iPro CGM helps to:

• Reveal low- and high-glucose trends not tracked by fingersticks and A1C testing alone;
• Discover new insights to fine-tune therapy and improve glucose control;
• Reduce A1C level and bring it closer to the American Diabetes Association target of 7 percent or less;
• Lower long-term risks of eye, kidney, nerve and heart disease.

ICPR Family Practice offers a complete diabetic program to help patients manage their disease and live longer, healthier lives by controlling diabetic highs and lows. The staff also offers educational classes to teach techniques like carb counting and discovering how certain foods can affect blood sugar. To find out more, call (309) 347-ICPR (4277) or schedule an appointment.

Can Your Knees Go the Distance?

May 16, 2008 - For more than 10 Million Americans, osteoarthritis of the knee makes simply getting out of bed in the morning uncomfortable; going up or down the stairs is time consuming and painful; and a stroll along the river impossible. Until recently, treatments included over-the-counter pain medications which after becoming ineffective gave way to prescription medications – and ultimately knee surgery. But many patients have discovered an alternative, non-surgical solution for their knee pain associated with Osteoarthritis: the KNAP – KNee Arthritis Program at Illinois Centers for Pain & Rehab (ICPR).

Osteoarthritis (OA) is also known as “wear and tear” arthritis. It is a disease that causes the knee cartilage to wear away. As OA progresses, the knee joint becomes irritated and inflamed causing pain, stiffness and a decrease in knee motion. There are a number of risk factors for OA. They include: family history of arthritis, obesity (even a mild degree of excess body weight contributes to this disease), over use of the knee and job or sports related injury to the joint.

For Sharaon Weininger, it was a knee injury in 1980 that led to Osteoarthritis. It gradually changed her lifestyle; activities decreased –and the things she used to enjoy, she couldn’t do anymore. She advanced through the standard treatment options and even had arthroscopic knee surgery in 2000 – which worked fine… for awhile. But in 2007 Sharaon was told she would require knee replacement surgery; a step she was not ready to take. And then Sharaon heard about the KNee Arthritis Program that Dr. Sumer offers at the Illinois Centers for Pain & Rehab.

The KNee Arthritis Program (KNAP) at ICPR is a safe and effective alternative to painful and risky knee replacement surgery. It is a five week plan that combines hyaluronan replacement therapy, a personalized physical therapy plan, and a home exercise regimen.

Sharaon completed her first series of injections in July of 2007. Sharaon states, “My knees have been to Disney where I’ve ridden all of the roller coasters, to Texas for the winter, and last August I walked all over Rome while on a Mediterranean Cruise.” She romps and plays with her grandchildren, climbs the stairs to her sewing room, descends the stairs to her family room in the basement of their home in Peoria Heights and line dances four times a week.

Sharaon was pain-free until April, at which time she started another series of Hyaluronan injections. Sharaon will not have to complete the entire treatment protocol this time. Instead she will simply continue her home exercises, the five injections – given seven days apart, and whatever other activities she chooses to keep moving. When asked what her knees will be doing this year, Sharaon replied, “I think I’m going to start bike riding this year.”

Sharaon Weininger isn’t the only one who is happy with the knowledge that her knees can go the distance; hundreds of others across Central Illinois have found relief from their knee arthritis pain thanks to this alternative treatment. Dr. Sumer has performed over 5000 knee injections since he started KNAP (Knee Arthritis Program). For more information or to register for an upcoming seminar, call (309) 347-4277 ext 237.