When Chronic Pain Becomes a Prison

In March 2025, a global study from Johns Hopkins revealed a hard truth:
Over 40% of people living with chronic pain also suffer from depression or anxiety.

The CDC followed up with its own staggering figure: 1 in 4 Americans now lives with chronic pain.

But what is chronic pain?

Well, both Hopkins and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define chronic pain as a debilitating condition where pain persists for more than 3 months. They also note that these people face a higher risk of substance abuse and even suicidal thoughts or attempts. It also goes without saying they face substantial healthcare bills just to get the care they need, whether physically or mentally.

We’re talking about tens of millions of people… waking up each day in pain,spending so much time and energy on solution after solution. Hope decreases day after day as the belief that they might be in pain forever starts to settle in. 

These people have probably ran through the usual suspects: Injections, medications, rehab efforts, and even surgery, only to be told some version of:

“There’s nothing else we can do.”

So, instead of trying to resolve the pain, the goal becomes learning how to live with it. 

“It is what it is” might be livable for a while but for many, it gets to a point where staying in bed, laying still, yet still suffering seems like the only option. 

So what can we do about it?

The author of the John Hopkins study, Dr. Rachel Aarons–a clinical psychologist who specializes in chronic pain–states:

“People who have chronic pain are more likely than those who don’t to have depression and anxiety. This is a significant public health problem that should be addressed with routine screening of depression and anxiety in clinical settings and the development of novel treatments that target their comorbidity.”

Here’s the good news: A growing number of providers are refusing to accept that giving up is the answer.

They are trying new non-invasive solutions like StemWave, and as a result, they’re not only getting their patients back to the activities and lives they thought they’d lost, they’re seeing tremendous practice growth in revenue and referrals.

Meet Dr. Leslie Carmen: A provider fueled by empathy and a mother’s love

Dr. Leslie Carmen didn’t become a provider for recognition or income.
She became one because someone she loved—her daughter—was in pain. She had a  rare condition called trigeminal neuralgia, “a condition that causes intense pain similar to an electric shock on one side of the face,” describes Mayo Clinic. “There was no real help—just drugs that made her feel like a zombie.” – Dr. Carmen

But Dr. Carmen didn’t stop at prescriptions or protocols. She kept searching.

And when she finally found something that helped her daughter heal, she knew others needed it too.

That was the birth of Carmen Care, a clinic rooted in compassion, innovation, and the belief that no one should have to live in pain without hope.

From stalled progress to immediate relief

For years, Dr. Carmen treated chronic pain patients using a range of trusted tools—laser therapy, manual care, and customized protocols.

But some patients remain stuck.

“They’d come in and say, ‘I don’t know what to do anymore. I still have years ahead of me.’” — Dr. Carmen

This is when she came across something new on a Facebook ad.

A non-invasive, regenerative therapy device with evidence of remarkable results from hundreds of clinics nationwide.

The promise? Faster relief. Drug-free outcomes. A science-backed approach that worked where other treatments fell short.

So she tried it. She went back to her toughest case–ones that stalled with other modalities like laser.

“I tried StemWave on them and after just one visit, they saw a 10–30% reduction in pain. We were astonished.” — Dr. Carmen

In fact, Dr. Carmen admits it’s the emotional impact of getting patients their quality of life back that moves her most.

“I know everyone tells the cruise story, an older patient who wants to go on a cruise but can’t. The thing is we really had it happen. A patient came in, barely able to walk, then booked her dream just a few months later.”

The refusal to quit is becoming a movement

Across the country, other providers are seeing the same outcomes.

Take Dr. Bob Lutz, owner of Motion ChiroTherapy. He’s using StemWave to transform how his clinic helps those with long-term pain.

And his patients? They’re sharing breakthroughs of their own:

Bonnie
“As a mom, my focus was on my family but it got to the point where I  was on muscle relaxers and couldn’t get out of bed. After just one treatment with StemWave, I thought—am I imagining this? But it was real. It really worked.”

Alex
“I was in so much pain I had to quit working. After treatment, I stood up and felt a tremendous difference.”

Amber
“I knew there was a problem when I struggled to get up off the couch. I would just lay there unable to move. I  walked into my treatment with a cane and walked out on my own. I was in tears.”

Dr. Lutz puts it simply:

“In the next 10 years, I believe everyone in physical medicine will have one of these. We’re just ahead of the curve.” 

A new standard of care rooted in results

StemWave isn’t a magic wand. It’s a science-based solution delivering real outcomes where others stall.

It’s helping providers break free from insurance traps and burnout.
It’s restoring function, mobility, and mental health for patients who thought they’d never feel normal again.

And perhaps most importantly, it’s reigniting hope—in patients, in providers, and in the possibility of what care can truly look like.

Final thoughts

We’re proud to partner with providers like Dr. Carmen and Dr. Lutz.
Not just for the results they deliver,but for the heart, resilience, and belief they bring into their clinics every day.

If you’re a provider who refuses to settle… Who believes your patients deserve more than temporary relief…
Then maybe it’s time to see what’s possible with StemWave.