Nicole Matar, MD

What are some of the specific conditions you treat?

Some of the specific conditions that I treat are chronic low back pain (including spinal stenosis, herniated disc, and facet joint pain) cervical/neck pain), pelvic pain, osteoarthritic joint pain, fibromyalgia, cancer pain, nerve pain, complex regional pain syndrome and persistent postsurgical pain.

What techniques or procedures do you use in your practice?

I use various techniques and procedures in my practice including:

• Medication management - opioid and non-opioid medications
• Conservative management - physical therapy referrals, acupuncture referrals, pain psychology referrals
• Interventional procedures - fluoroscopy guided epidurals, facet joint injections, sacroiliac joint injections, radiofrequency ablations, joint injections, sympathetic blocks
• Ultrasound guided procedures - joint injections, nerve blocks
• Advanced interventional procedures - spinal cord stimulator trials, peripheral nerve stimulators

What would you like patients to know about your approach to care?

My personal philosophy of medicine is to always focus on safety and quality. I like to treat each patient as a unique and individual case. I am aware that presentations and outcomes can be unpredictable, and it is important to put patients first and ensure that we are forever thinking about how to work together to improve care.

What inspired you to become a doctor?

My father was a physician and as a child I had the pleasure of watching him return from work with the satisfaction of having treated and helped innumerable patients. I always yearned to follow in his footsteps. The opportunity to change someone's life for the better and to alleviate a person's pain is the most rewarding and fulfilling career choice.