The Pain Away Team
Dedicated to a World Free of Chronic Pain
Our Story
Our Story Started with Petra Suffering Extensive Chronic Pain
After years of debilitating knee pain and numerous failed treatments, Petra's complete recovery was achieved through modern pain science, enabling her to live an active, fulfilled life. Petra's pain odyssey inspired us to use our experience and insights to help others find the same relief.
At age 21, Petra was plagued by knee pain, leading to bilateral knee surgery. However, following a prolonged recovery, the pain intensified. Over the years to come, we sought help from many well-intentioned orthopedists, neurologists, and pain physicians. But no one was able to help her or find anything definitive on the numerous X-rays and MRIs that were performed. Pain medication, cortisone, and physical therapy provided no consistent improvement. We recall a conversation with one orthopedist who told us, "We just don’t understand pain very well. We have some patients with knees entirely devoid of cartilage—bone on bone—and they experience minimal pain, still walking comfortably. Conversely, we encounter patients with knees that appear healthy on the MRI, yet they endure intense pain. It's a perplexing aspect of our field." Again and again, we were told, “You have to live with this pain. Try to live your life as best as you can.”
Despite the persistent pain, Petra made a concerted effort to stay active. She engaged in walks and even embraced ballroom dancing, with knee braces as constant support, extensive post-activity joint icings, and prolonged resting. Two and a half decades after her initial knee surgeries, the pain started to intensify progressively forcing her into a wheelchair. Additional issues developed including plantar fasciitis and gastritis (following NSAID therapy). Orthopedists prescribed even more physical therapy, involving exercises with all extremities which worsened her existing pain and led to the development of additional shoulder pain. Eventually, she had become incapacitated and desperate. Another knee surgery was recommended on her left knee to insert a tendon graft. Following the surgery, a stitch infection developed into sepsis, a life-threatening
condition causing Petra to fear for her life. A cascade of chronic conditions subsequently unfolded and a severe case of bilateral tennis elbow made lifting her arms to her mouth an insurmountable challenge, necessitating assistance to feed her. Excruciating stomach pain and constant nausea developed, making any food intake unbearable and resulting in severe weight loss to the point of emaciation (just under 100 Lb at a height of 5’7”). In addition, she suffered from chronic insomnia, hypervigilance, and dizziness. A rare genetic disease diagnosis and autonomic neuropathy diagnosis further complicated matters, turning her life into a daily struggle against disability and excruciating pain.
The overwhelming battle with pain and illness pushed Petra into a state of constant anxiety, consistent with an anxiety disorder. More than a year after the second knee surgery, none of the many chronic conditions had been resolved, and her knee continued to swell, requiring icing every two hours. Petra began to lose hope. She had always embraced life with joy and was known for her cheerfulness. Throughout those years, she never encountered depression or received any psychiatric diagnoses, even leading up to her second knee surgery. However, the relentless, strong pain and disability led her to a breaking point with suicidal ideations.
Eventually, we learned about the newest scientific advancements in the understanding of chronic pain. Skeptical at first, Petra soon experienced a significant improvement in my symptoms. We learned about current advancements in pain recovery science, neuroscience, and innovative chronic pain treatments. Witnessing remarkable progress in her recovery, despite the lengthy struggle she had endured, we became deeply fascinated by this therapeutic approach.
We had eye-opening insights into the root causes of Petra's pain and learned effective strategies to confront and address them. Remarkably, her knee swelling ceased within four weeks and she achieved complete recovery of all her chronic pain within two years. Throughout this time, Petra became increasingly active and engaged in physical activities she could only dream of during the previous 26 years of chronic pain. Strenuous hikes, mountain biking, running, kayaking, and rock climbing are now part of our regular activities.
Although her body isn't flawless, presenting theoretical problems that accumulated over the decades of intensive orthopedic diagnostics (areas of soft cartilage, hyperflexibility, and knee caps that are too small…), Petra is free of chronic pain.
This profound, decades-long experience, gave us deep insights into modern pain understanding and management. We learned to scrutinize different approaches for scientific merit, select the best established and effective methods, and tailor these to individual needs. We leverage cutting-edge neuroscience and pain science. These innovative methods, often unfamiliar to many practicing physicians due to the slow integration of therapeutic advancements into medical education, played a pivotal role in Petra's recovery. Our goal is to close this knowledge gap for every chronic pain sufferer, offering guidance and support to those seeking freedom from chronic pain.
A life without pain is within reach, and we will guide you every step of the way.