Pain Management and Relief – JRM Nurse Consultants

August 08 2025

Why Injured Workers Need More Than Pain Meds: The Functional Medicine Approach

By Rosie Moore, DNP, RN, LEHP, LNC, BC-FMP
Functional Medicine Nurse Consultant

When someone is injured on the job, the typical medical response often focuses heavily on managing pain—usually through medication—and recommending rest. While pain relief is important, this approach frequently leaves injured workers without the comprehensive support needed to fully heal and regain function. As a Functional Health Nurse and case manager, I’ve witnessed firsthand how this narrow focus can prolong suffering and delay recovery.

The Limits of Conventional Care for Injured Workers

Traditional treatment often prioritizes symptom management rather than addressing the underlying causes that prevent healing. Pain medications may mask discomfort temporarily, but do not resolve the biological or emotional factors fueling chronic pain or delayed recovery. Meanwhile, injured workers may be advised to rest extensively, which can lead to muscle weakness, reduced mobility, and even increased pain over time.

Unfortunately, this cycle can leave workers feeling stuck, frustrated, and concerned about their ability to return to work and everyday life.

How Functional Medicine Bridges the Gap

Functional Medicine is a whole-person approach that considers the complex interactions between nutrition, inflammation, hormones, nervous system function, and emotional health. It’s especially valuable for injured workers because it helps identify and address the root causes of slow healing and persistent pain.

Here’s how Functional Medicine can transform recovery:

Anti-Inflammatory Nutrition Support

Chronic inflammation is a major barrier to healing after injury. Certain foods can either fuel or fight inflammation. Through personalized nutritional guidance, we help injured workers reduce inflammatory triggers and incorporate nutrient-dense, healing foods that support tissue repair and overall wellness.

Gut Healing Protocols

The gut plays a surprisingly powerful role in recovery. Poor gut health can contribute to systemic inflammation and impair nutrient absorption, both of which slow healing. Functional Medicine addresses gut imbalances with targeted protocols to restore balance, support the immune system, and optimize digestion.

Functional Lab Testing for Hormone and Adrenal Health

Stress from injury can disrupt hormone balance and adrenal function, which impacts energy levels, pain perception, and tissue repair. Functional lab testing provides deeper insights beyond conventional labs, allowing for tailored interventions to rebalance these critical systems and support recovery.

Nervous System Care After Trauma

Physical injury is often accompanied by nervous system dysregulation, especially after trauma or chronic pain. Techniques to calm the nervous system—including breathing exercises, mindfulness, and gentle movement—can reduce pain sensitivity and improve overall function.

Why This Matters for Injured Workers

Injured workers deserve more than just medication and rest. They need a comprehensive roadmap that empowers them to take control of their healing journey and rebuild their health, function, and quality of life.

By integrating Functional Medicine into recovery plans, injured workers can experience:

Reduced pain and inflammation
Improved energy and stamina
Better sleep and mood
Enhanced ability to return to work safely and confidently

Ready to Build Your Roadmap to Recovery?

If you or someone you love is caught in the cycle of pain and frustration after a work injury, Functional Medicine may be the missing piece. I’m here to help you explore your unique situation and design a personalized recovery plan.

Initial Functional Health Consultation: $25.00
Click here to book your session

Rosie Moore, DNP, RN, LEHP, LNC, BC-FMP
Doctor of Nursing Practice | Functional Medicine Nurse Consultant
Serving Orlando and surrounding areas
407-760-1662 | rosie@jrmnurseconsultants.com
jrmnurseconsultants.com

August 08 2025

“I’m Not Just Treating a Back—There’s a Person Behind That Pain”: What Doctors Are Really Facing

By Dr. Rosie Moore, DNP, RN, LNC, LEHP, BC-FMP
“Understanding the Human Side of Injury Recovery: Real Stories, Real Struggles, Real Solutions” – Part 2 of 3

Dr. Patel’s Day

Dr. Patel glanced at her overflowing patient list. One after another, she saw patients struggling with chronic pain, complicated workers’ comp cases, and frustrated employers breathing down her neck for updates. There simply wasn’t enough time to give each person the whole care they deserved.

She wanted to do more—understand their stories, connect the dots, and help them heal completely. But the pressure of paperwork, insurance approvals, and employer demands left her exhausted and often feeling like she was just putting out fires.

The Pressure Cooker of Clinical Practice

Doctors and medical providers are caught in a high-stakes balancing act every day. They strive to:

Deliver quality patient care while managing mounting administrative tasks
Navigate the complexities of workers’ compensation regulations
Communicate with employers, insurers, and patients who each have different priorities
Keep up-to-date with evolving treatment guidelines and functional medicine advances

This tightrope walk often leaves little room to address the root causes behind pain or chronic conditions.

Caught in the Middle

Providers frequently find themselves stuck between:

Patients hoping for relief and understanding
Insurers demanding cost-effective, evidence-based treatments
Employers needing timely, safe return-to-work plans

Miscommunications can lead to delayed approvals, treatment gaps, and increased frustration for everyone involved.

The Gaps No One Sees

Beyond the clinical symptoms are the psychosocial factors: anxiety, fear, family stress, and workplace pressures. Without time or resources to explore these fully, patient outcomes may suffer.

This is where collaborative care models—like incorporating functional medicine and personalized case management—can bridge the gap.

Functional Medicine as a Collaborative Bridge

I partner with providers like Dr. Patel to complement their care by:

Offering root-cause evaluations that consider lifestyle, nutrition, and stress
Coordinating between medical providers, employers, and insurers
Supporting patients emotionally and educationally throughout recovery
Reducing provider administrative burden with clear communication and updates

Together, we create a smoother, more comprehensive healing experience.

Let’s Work Together

If you’re a provider facing these challenges, I’d love to discuss how my functional medicine nurse consulting can lighten your load and improve your patients’ outcomes.

Call to Action:
Let me help you create smoother recoveries and stronger outcomes—for your patients and your peace of mind.
Contact me for a collaboration conversation: jrmnurseconsultants.com

July 07 2025

Why You’re Still in Pain After the MRI Says You’re Fine

By Dr. Rosie Moore, DNP, RN, LNC, LEHP, BC-FMP
Functional Medicine Nurse Consultant | JRM Nurse Consultants
https://jrmnurseconsultants.com

“There’s nothing more we can do.”

If you’ve been injured, seen an orthopedic specialist, had all the tests, and still heard those words—you’re not alone.
Maybe your MRI came back “normal” or showed only mild bulging. The doctor reassured you it wasn’t serious. Yet you’re still dealing with pain, fatigue, or even nerve symptoms like leg weakness and instability.

So now what?

You’re still in pain, but the system is finished with you. You’re told to rest, maybe try more PT, and wait it out. Some are even told the pain is “in their head.”

But here’s the truth: the absence of major structural injury does NOT mean you’re fine.

What Traditional Imaging Can Miss

MRIs and X-rays are powerful—but limited. They’re excellent for detecting major injuries like herniated discs or fractures. But they can miss:

Chronic inflammation
Nerve dysfunction without compression
Muscle imbalances
Central sensitization (when your nervous system becomes hypersensitive to pain)

These are functional issues, not structural ones. That’s where functional medicine steps in.

What Is Functional Medicine for Injury Recovery?

Functional medicine looks beyond symptoms and imaging to uncover why your body is still struggling.
At JRM Nurse Consultants, I take a whole-person approach. That includes:

Reviewing your sleep, stress, and nutrition
Looking at nerve health and inflammatory patterns
Understanding how trauma, hormones, and gut health affect your healing

Whether it’s a teen injured at work, a nurse hurt on the job, or a parent still exhausted after being cleared—if you’re not getting answers, this approach is for you.

The Good News: You’re Not Stuck

You don’t have to live in chronic pain, even if the system has discharged you.
You don’t have to wait until things get worse to seek help.
And you don’t have to figure it out alone.

✅ Ready to Be Heard?

I offer a $25 Functional Recovery Assessment to help you finally feel seen and supported.
In this one-on-one session, we’ll talk about your injury, your symptoms, and your healing goals. Then I’ll outline how we can work together to rebuild strength, reduce pain, and restore function—naturally.

👉 Book Now: https://jrmnurseconsultants.com
💲 Cost: $25 (applied toward your care plan if you move forward)
📩 Questions? Email rosie@jrmnurseconsultants.com

Because when your MRI says you’re fine—but your body says you’re not—it’s time for a new plan.

January 01 2019

Dealing with Pain and Activities of Daily Living

When someone is in pain, the painful stimulation must be removed in order for them to function. In looking at the activities of daily living such as hair brushing, dressing, and many others, makes anyone in pain lack motivation to function. When physical therapy is ordered for patients, especially in the home setting, they at times lose their motivation because of the same thing, it is too painful. But if we as nurses write the plan of care and recommend to the physician to have medications given to the patient about 20-30 minutes before therapy, then the patient may be able to work through the therapy that may be otherwise painful.

With dependent care, it is always a difficult thing if the patient is coherent enough to know that they need help. As home care nurse, I saw this frustration in many of my patients because their mind was intact, but with an injury or disease process that prevented them from taking care of themselves. This is when our compassion as a nurse can show the patient that there are ways that they can still remain independent by giving them choices whenever possible. For instance what foods they like to eat within their diet, what time of day they want their bath. Everything depends on when they have the help available, but at least whenever they can make a decision, give them that option so that way they can feel that they have some decision making power (Alligood, 2013).

References

Alligood, M. (2013). Nursing Theorists and their Work (8th ed.). Retrieved from http://online.vitalsource.com/books/9780323091947

Dr. Rosie Moore https://rosiemoore27.com/

February 02 2017

When a Patient is in Pain

Have you ever thought about your patients in the hospital that are under severe pain? When someone is in pain, the painful stimulation must be removed in order for them to function. In looking at the activities that we do on a daily basis like brushing our hair, getting dressed and many others, I can see how many would not be motivated because of the pain that they are in. When physical therapy comes around, they at times lose their motivation because it is too painful. But if we write the plan of care and recommend to the physician that they have medications given to the patient about 20-30 minutes before therapy, then the patient may be able to work through the therapy that may be painful otherwise.

Some patients who are being cared for in the home setting may have experienced an injury or disease process that prevents them from taking care of themselves and they get frustrated. This is when we can show the patient ways to remain independent and give them choices when possible. For instance what foods they like to eat within their diet or what days they want their bath. Everything depends on when they have the help available, but at least whenever they make a decision, we should give them that option. We can help the patient have some decision making power (Alligood, 2013).