You’ll Never Be Left High And Dry As Long As Dr. Choxi is By Your Side

By Michael Vandenberg

“There’s always some kind of support available,” for patients struggling with pain, Dr. Sarah Choxi told me in a recent discussion. If you, like many of Garden State Medical Center’s new patients, have been told by other doctors that nothing could be done to alleviate your suffering, it’s time to think again. When you combine the vast treatment options available at GSMC with Dr. Choxi and the rest of their pain management specialists (including founder Dr. Dharam Mann), that negativity simply doesn’t stand a chance.

After all, her interest in helping people has driven her throughout her education and career. She decided to specialize in anesthesiology and interventional pain management because she saw how much those fields could change lives. “It was a way to help patients improve quality of life,” said Dr. Choxi. “It can be really difficult for people when they have pain to go through their normal day by day activities. So it was really important to me as a medical student, later on as a resident, and now as an attending to be able to restore their function and have very independent lives.” People who have conditions that can’t be solved or are difficult to solve deserve the ability to be happy and pain-free.

Formerly at the University of Chicago, Dr. Choxi was drawn to GSMC’s same focus, as well as the innovative tools it has to make it happen. “It’s a very multi-dimensional perspective on managing pain,” she said. Their solutions include medication management, injections, spinal cord stimulators, and countless others that have been proven safe and effective. Oftentimes a combination of techniques works best. “Patients aren’t cookie cutter. They’re very unique and individual. So I think you need to have a plan in place that caters to their specific needs.”

Garden State Medical Center has always been on the cutting edge, so it’s only natural for them to have so much under their umbrella. If Dr. Choxi thinks you need to see a rheumatologist, don’t start looking at next month’s calendar; you can see one of her rheumatologist colleagues in-house in a matter of days. She’ll probably even share her notes with them on their state-of-the-art electronic database, which will also help you to stay informed about your own care.

Being in-the-know about the options available to you is an important part of the culture at GSMC. Dr. Choxi remembers one patient in particular who was desperate for answers. She had heel surgery and, although it had physically healed, she was still feeling a ton of pain. Unfortunately, the surgeon had been dismissive, telling her that there was no reason for her to be feeling discomfort. “She felt a little pushed around by him and sort of just pushed out the door,” Dr. Choxi remembered her saying. When she saw the patient, she told her, “No matter what, we’ll figure this out together.” Dr. Choxi gave her options: five to be exact.

The patient decided to go with an injection called a sympathetic nerve block, and just like that she achieved 90 percent relief. It was a life-changing difference, giving her the ability to ex- a couple hours and enjoy herself. Previously, anything longer than ten minutes used to be unbearable. “I’m finally able to just enjoy the weather outside,” the patient told her. “I’m so glad that you could give me options and I know that I can trust you.” perience basic joys again in ways lots of people take for granted. Recently she went to a flea market with her husband and could actually just walk around for

Trust in a doctor gives patients the courage to pursue the treatment they feel most comfortable with. Luckily, after Dr. Choxi gives you the most effective and safest options, she’s happy let you make the ultimate choice. Unfamiliar with how some of these methods work? She’ll happily go over everything with you at length and answer any questions. In addition, GSMC has models in every room to help patients visualize what doctors are describing. There are even televisions in all the offices with videos that give patients a full rundown of procedures and illustrations on how they’re performed.

It’s all because Dr. Choxi’s patients “know that they’re going to get the care they deserve”. To get started, call 1-888-376-2661 today to schedule an appointment, or feel free to visit gsmedicalcenter.org to learn more on the procedures Garden State Medical Center provides. Dr. Choxi currently practices at 780 Route 37 West, Suite 110 and 1314 Hooper Avenue, Building B, Suite 101 in Toms River; 1100 Route 70, Entrance A in Whiting; 1608 Route 88, Suite 102 in Brick; and 100 Route 36, Suite #1K in West Long Branch.