Biography
Raymond Greaser, M.D., is a board-certified and fellowship-trained pain management specialist with MidMichigan Health’s Spine and Pain Program.
As a pain management physician, Dr. Greaser provides balanced pain management care to diagnose and treat conditions such as neck and back pain, including work-related injuries and sciatica; persistent pain after back or neck surgery; arthritis pain in spine and joints; complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS); nerve damage; muscle spasm pain; shingles pain and headaches.
Dr. Greaser is Harvard fellowship-trained in interventional pain management and holds more than 27 years of clinical experience in the diagnosis and treatment of various pain syndromes. “I was attracted to the field of pain medicine because I enjoy relieving the burden of chronic pain for patients,” he said.
Philosophy of Care
According to Dr. Greaser, it is very important for him to connect with his patients on an interpersonal level to build good relationships. “After listening to the patient’s story, I employ a multi-disciplinary approach to treat their pain, with the goal of decreased pain and increased function,” he added. “I always strive to develop a congenial, trusting relationship with each of my patients. The most satisfying aspect of my job is applying a safe, effective therapy to relieve their pain.”
Special Interests and Procedures
Within the specialized field of interventional pain management, Dr. Greaser is especially interested in the area of peripheral nerve field stimulation for the treatment of chronic pain. He believes that this therapy has a direct therapeutic impact on the neuroplastic changes of chronic pain for the effective relief of pain. Dr. Greaser also has a special interest in the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
“In my opinion, the most stirring discovery is the neuroscientific concept of neuroplasticity whereby the nervous system itself changes at its cellular level in response to painful excitatory stimulation,” he said. “This is why it’s important to intervene early in order to manage pain effectively.”
In his free-time, Dr. Greaser enjoys weight lifting, golf, reading, and traveling with his family. He and his wife Anna have two adult children, Jessica and James. Dr. Greaser served as an active-duty physician in the US Army for 8 years where he received two Meritorious Service Medals and the Army Achievement Medal.