Center for Pain Management

Western Maryland Medical Arts Center
12502 Willowbrook Road, Suite 360
Cumberland, MD 21502
Phone: 240-964-8700
Fax: 240-964-8701

Pain management services at WMHS Center for Pain Management are located in the Western Maryland Medical Arts Center at 12502 Willowbrook Road, Suite 360, adjacent to the new Western Maryland Regional Medical Center.

Anesthesiologists Rohan Mullings, Meera Appaswamy, Gregory Arnold, and the staff at the WMHS Center for Pain Management use a team approach to manage acute pain, persistent pain, and cancer-related pain. They start with a comprehensive assessment to determine treatments that focus on attaining positive long-term results.  Dr. Debra Schaaf, clinical psychologist, provides psychological support and biofeedback as part of the team approach.

Some of the features of the WMHS Center for Pain Management are:

  • State-of-the-art fluoroscopic guided spinal injections for diagnostic and therapeutic applications
  • Comprehensive assessments and multidisciplinary team determination of treatments that focus on attaining positive long-term outcomes
  • Concurrent use of various treatment modalities, such as interventional procedures, medication management, physical therapy, and psychological support that may hasten the healing process
  • Opportunities for learning skills that minimize or prevent recurring pain
  • Individualized education regarding specific chronic pain syndromes and treatment plans
  • Encouragement of the patient's active participation in the treatment plan, including family members when appropriate

Objectives

The staff at the WMHS Center for Pain Management develops an individualized plan for each patient designed to:

  • Diagnose and treat persistent pain syndromes.
  • Reduce pain and increase comfort.
  • Increase the ability to manage pain and related problems.
  • Increase physical capabilities and activities.
  • Support the return to productive activity.
  • Optimize the appropriate use of medications.
  • Increase coping, self-care, and stress management skills.
  • Improve psychosocial adjustments and quality of life.

Assessment

Our Center places a strong emphasis on thorough and efficient multidisciplinary assessments to evaluate factors contributing to pain. We use this information to individualize treatment plans and to maximize patient outcomes. Problems frequently evaluated are listed below:

  • Back pain
  • Headaches
  • Joint pain
  • Shoulder pain
  • Complex regional pain syndromes (RSD/causalgia)
  • Myofascial pain
  • Neck pain with/without radicular pain
  • Cancer related pain
  • Neuralgia (pain from injured nerves)
  • Pelvic pain
  • Anxiety, depression, stress related to pain.

Available Treatments

A wide range of treatment options is available at the WMHS Pain Management Center, including:

  • Injections of the cervical and lumbar facet joints
  • Diagnostic discography
  • Percutaneous nucleoplasty
  • Peripheral and autonomic nerve blocks
  • Selective nerve root injections
  • Epidural steroid injections
  • Radiofrequency lesioning
  • Implantable intrathecal pumps
  • Pharmacological management
  • Biofeedback
  • Relaxation training
  • Acupuncture (referral)
  • Physical and occupational therapy (referral)
  • Psychotherapy and counseling
  • Family Therapy

Referrals

We welcome physician referrals for patients who have acute or chronic pain. We request that all pertinent records (history and physical, radiologic, psychological and other consultations) be forwarded to our Center prior to the initial appointment with the patient.

Increasing your ability to manage pain can improve the quality of your life. If you suffer from acute or chronic pain, talk with your physician about the possibilities for pain management. For more information about the services provided by the WMHS Center for Pain Management, call us at 240-964-8700.

Center for Pain Management Staff

  • Rohan Mullings, M.D., Medical Director, completed his residency in anesthesiology at the University of Miami School of Medicine, where he also did a fellowship in Pain Management. Dr. Mullings was on the medical staff at the Upper Chesapeake Health System in Bel Air, Maryland, before joining the medical staff at WMHS.
  • Meera Appaswamy, M.D., did her residency training at Mercy Hospital, the University of Pittsburgh and McGee Women's Hospital, all in Pittsburgh. She completed her fellowship in Pain Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh prior to coming to Cumberland in 2003.
  • Gregory J. Arnold, M.D., completed a fellowship in pain management at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.  He did his residency in anesthesiology and completed an internal medicine internship at the University of Chicago Hospitals.  Dr. Arnold received his medical degree from the New York Medical College and did his undergraduate degree in chemistry at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. 

Drs. Mullings, Arnold and Appaswamy are part of Cumberland Anesthesia and Pain Management Associates and are on the medical staff at WMHS.

  • Frances A. Weber, RN, MS, APN -BC
    Program Director