Physicians really do know who the best doctors are.

When it comes to pain management specialists, few attain the level of expertise and respect throughout their communities that Harold J. Cordner, MD, of Florida Pain Management Associates in Sebastian and Vero Beach has.

Eugene A. Melvin, Jr., MD, has battled back problems for years. The excruciating ache in his lower back led to burning pain that ran down his left leg. In 2014, he had a discectomy that provided significant pain relief, but a recent injury caused the pain to return with a vengeance.

Looking for quick relief, Dr. Melvin first visited several pain management physicians in the Orlando area, where the interventional pain management physician has a practice of his own. He underwent various injections and ablations – procedures that destroy affected spinal nerves using heat energy – but those treatments provided only minimal relief. As a result, he turned to Dr. Cordner, whose skill and expertise, Dr. Melvin says, set him apart from others in his field.

“These individuals in Orlando were good doctors, but they just did not have the skills and techniques Dr. Cordner has,” Dr. Melvin observes. “Dr. Cordner performed a unique type of injection on me that really relieved a lot of the pain I was experiencing.

“He used a special technique called a Racz catheter procedure, during which he advanced a catheter into the spinal canal through the sacrum. Once he arrived at the correct location, he broke up some of the scar tissue that was in there causing pain.”

The Racz catheter procedure proved more effective than any of the other pain-relieving techniques Dr. Melvin had tried previously. Should his pain return, Dr. Melvin says he will likely opt for spinal cord stimulation and will certainly have Dr. Cordner perform this surgery.

“If I need it, I will absolutely, hands down ask Dr. Cordner to do the spinal cord implant procedure,’’ Dr. Melvin exudes. “He is my pain guy!”

“Always Satisfied”

Much like Dr. Melvin, Michael Venazio, MD, has a history of back pain radiating into his legs. Several years ago, when the pain became too severe, he too consulted Dr. Cordner, whom he has known for more than 15 years.

“I refer a lot of my patients to him, and they’re always satisfied,” Dr. Venazio says. “He’s very highly respected in the field, so when I suffered a significant herniated disc at the L4/L5 level, I went to see Dr. Cordner.

“He gave me a series of epidural steroid injections, followed by a nucleoplasty procedure, which really helped my pain to where it’s minimal to nonexistent at this point.”

The same can be said for internal medicine practitioner David DePutron, DO.

“I have cervical spinal stenosis, a condition in which the spinal canal narrows and puts pressure on the spinal cord and spinal nerves,” Dr. DePutron explains. “I also have a problem whereby arthritic changes of the lower part of the cervical spine intermittently result in pressure on my spinal cord. That causes discomfort and numbness in the fourth and fifth fingers of both hands.

“Dr. Cordner treats me periodically to alleviate that intermittent problem. I’ve had this condition since 1996 and have not had a need for any therapy other than what Dr. Cordner has provided. I have literally referred hundreds of patients to him and consider us lucky to have him in our community.”

Getting the Best Results

Scott Glaser, MD, agrees. Dr. Glaser first got to know Dr. Cordner through the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians. Dr. Glaser became so impressed by his expertise that he called on Dr. Cordner when his father was struggling with a serious pain issue.

Dr. Glaser’s father suffered with significant spinal stenosis. He was living alone at the time and was in so much pain that it became difficult for him to get out of bed or even walk to the bathroom.

“I wholeheartedly recommend Dr. Cordner. . . . I recommended him to my dad. If I trusted him with a family member, I would trust him with anybody.” – Dr. Glaser

Dr. Glaser knows of many excellent pain physicians closer to Palm Coast, where his father resided, but none, he says, were as good as Dr. Cordner. That’s why he didn’t mind making the two-hour drive to Florida Pain Management Associates to see him.

“Dr. Cordner’s subspecialty of interventional pain medicine teaches him just where to put that medication to get the best results,” Dr. Glaser educates. “Using x-ray guidance, he injected that medicine right next to the irritated nerve in my father’s back, and it worked. It worked quite rapidly in fact, within a few days.”

As an orthopaedic surgeon, Kirk Maes, MD, is well aware of Dr. Cordner’s reputation, and just as Dr. Glaser did, he recently referred a family member struggling with pain to Dr. Cordner.

“Dr. Cordner gave my family member a series of injections, and she was able to run a marathon afterward,” Dr. Maes explains. “She’s done really well.”

So has the uncle of Carlos Vizcarra, MD. A resident of Peru, Dr. Vizcarra’s uncle has suffered for many years from intractable pain from shingles. Unfortunately, physicians in Peru do not offer some of the treatments available here.

Dr. Vizcarra felt so strongly about Dr. Cordner’s expertise in pain management that he encouraged his uncle to fly to the United States to get the best possible care available and saw to it that he was treated by Dr. Cordner.

“My uncle came here and underwent two treatments with Dr. Cordner and had a great response,” Dr. Vizcarra says. “Dr. Cordner was excellent.”

Common Conclusions

Dr. Cordner stays on the leading edge of interventional pain medicine, so he always has the latest treatment advances for his patients.

“There’s not a second thought in my mind that if you need a pain specialist, it should be Dr. Cordner,” Dr. Venazio states. “He’s one of the best pain physicians in Florida. He’s intelligent and well-versed, his pain knowledge is excellent, and his technique is stellar.”

“I wholeheartedly recommend Dr. Cordner,’’ Dr. Glaser adds. “Think about it. I recommended him to my dad. If I trusted him with a family member, I would trust him with anybody.”

“My patients come to me, and they are very happy with Dr. Cordner’s approach, his manners, and his knowledge about pain management,” Dr. Vizcarra says. “I refer at least ninety percent of my pain patients to him.”

“He is without a doubt the most skilled and insightful pain management doctor within two-hundred miles,” Dr. Maes assures. “He is the go-to guy around here.”