Atlantic General Hospital Opens Pain Center, Welcomes Pain Intervention Specialist

Berlin, Md. – Atlantic General Hospital and Health System is pleased to announce that board certified anesthesiologist and pain intervention specialist Wadid Zaky, MD, will serve as medical director of the new Atlantic General Pain Center in Berlin, Md.

Building the center was one of the organization’s strategic plans to address a chronic condition that plagues many residents on the Shore. According to the National Institutes of Health, chronic pain affects more Americans than diabetes, heart disease and cancer combined. It is a leading cause of disability and accounts for a significant portion of healthcare costs.

“We are very pleased to have Dr. Zaky join us” said Colleen Wareing, vice president of patient care at Atlantic General Hospital. “He brings advanced techniques to the management of pain with a focus on integrating the right interventions for each individual patient. To have him on the Shore for our community is amazing. Dr. Zaky is one of only four pain experts in the United States that was invited to present at the World Institute of Pain International Conference being held in London this month.”

Atlantic General Pain Center provides a comprehensive approach to treatment of chronic pain, with pain blocks and spinal intervention procedures in addition to medical management. Over the next year, the program will expand to include behavioral health as well as complimentary services, providing a holistic approach to the treatment of pain.

“With the therapies that are now available in the field of pain intervention, there is hope for individuals suffering with chronic pain,” said Dr. Zaky. “I look forward to working with patients here on Delmarva to help alleviate the pain they may be struggling with.”

In addition to administering pain blocks and performing minimally-invasive procedures, Zaky is the only physician on the Eastern Shore with expertise in advanced neuro modulation, which involves stimulation of the spine to relieve pain in various parts of the body. With one therapy, high-frequency modulation, the patient cannot detect the stimulation and the therapy can relieve pain for some individuals for whom lower frequency therapy was ineffective. Another modality is selective nerve root modulation.

These therapies are used to alleviate pain caused by a number of conditions, including neuropathy and peripheral nerve damage from diabetes, degenerative disc disease, neck and back pain as well as persistent pain after surgery.

Zaky joined Atlantic General Hospital following a stint as assistant professor at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. Zaky completed a fellowship in pain management at the University of Pittsburgh and a fellowship in neuromodulation at King’s College, London, as well as a residency in anesthesia at Brookdale University Medical Center. He has worked with numerous healthcare organizations, including Sloan Kettering Cancer Institute and the Cleveland Clinic Pain Center. Zaky is board certified in pain management and anesthesiology. Zaky is also a lecturer at international interventional pain conferences and an instructor for workshops to teach cutting edge techniques to his colleagues in the field.

Physician referrals can be made by calling 410-641-3340.