Locations
National Spine & Pain Centers
Manassas, VA
About
SpecialtiesDoctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Anesthesiology
Pain Management
Languages spoken
English
Doctor Q&A
65 Answers
1 Agree
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 24-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Depends on dose: Tylenol (acetaminophen) is mixed with a number of pain medicines such as vicodin. Vicodin contains varying amounts of hydrocodone and acetaminophen. ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Yes: Acupuncture has been used an alternative modality for management of various ailments in the U.S. And at times as the primary modality in far east coun... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Varies: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents (nsaids) are effective pain medications which exert their effect by decreasing inflammation. They all affect st... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 28-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Depends on diagnosis: Tens (transcutaneous electrical stimulation) is a non-invasive way of treating various painful disorders. It essentially drowns out pain stimulus. It... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
No: Topamax (topiramate) is an antiseizure medicine which has been used for management of various neuropathic or nerve related pain disorders. It is also ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 27-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
No: Soma (carisoprodol) is a muscle relaxer and not a pain medicine. It has some sedative property which may help with sleep in short term. It is typica... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 29-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
No: The field of pain management has grown tremendously over past decade. Some pain physicians concentrate on medical management of painful disorders whi... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Yes: Oxycodone is a powerful opioid, and it can be mixed with and NSAID (anti-inflammatory). One should be cautious with use nsaids on a long term basis i... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 57-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Conservative first: Sciatica is a pain radiating into lower extremities. Typically impingement of nerves exiting the lower spine causes this. Less common is impingement ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Not exactly: Lyrica (pregabalin) is an anti-neuropathic medication with a wide area of application for various painful disorders. It is a "scheduled" substance, b... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 52-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
No: Lyrica (pregabalin) is a very effective medicine primarily used for management of neuropathic type pain (nerve generated pain). Examples include shing... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Yes: Facial pain could be related to a number of different problems ranging from dental issues to nerve pain as in trigeminal neuralgia. Tegretol has been... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Varies: Carbamazepine used to be the main agent in treatment of trigeminal neuralgia years ago. We now have a multitude of anti-neuropathic agents with bette... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Depends on dose: Aspirin and Daypro (oxaprozin) are nsaids (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). Aspirin inhibits platelets more. Platelets are needed for blood clo... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old female asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Requires imaging: If your symptoms persist, you need an orthopedic evaluation and at the minimum x-ray of your knees. Simple problems can be alleviated with physical t... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Stop for now: The reason for the shoulder pain needs to be determined first. Pain could mean overstretched tendons, ligaments, and muscles. But, it could also be ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 22-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
No: Elavil (amitriptyline) is an old generation antidepressant, and tegretol is an old generation anti-seizure medication. Both can relieve nerve related... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 29-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Needs workup: Attention: any chest pain should be taken seriously and needs to be discussed with a physician as soon as possible as heart issues can manifest in non... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
No: Lortab contains hydrocodone, a narcotic, and acetaminophen. It is not safe to mix alcoholic beverages with narcotic medications.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Depends on the case: Lyrica (pregabalin) is a great anti-neuropathic medicine. The weight gain is usually water retention as opposed to gaining fat. There are a number o... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 23-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Medicine management: Pain contract or opioid agreement or contract is essentially committing to an understanding by the patient that he or she will abide by the rules set ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
No: Oxycontin is essentially extended release form of oxycodone which is a very powerful narcotic medicine. Almost all narcotics can cause some nausea. ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Yes: First thing to know is what is causing the pain to begin with. A lot of times, there are a lot of alternative minimally invasive treatments which may... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
No: Elavil (amitriptyline) is an old generation anti-depressant which has significant anti-neuropathic pain property (it relieves nerve pain). As with alm... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 53-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Yes: Aquatic therapy is an excellent adjunct modality for treatment of various pain disorders. By using the buoyancy of water, there is substantially less... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 23-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Depends on diagnosis: Amitriptyline (elavil (amitriptyline) for brand name) is an anti-neuropathic medicine. It is an old generation anti-depressant. Neurontin (gabapenti... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 23-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Depends on the pain: Pain can be caused by a multitude of reasons. It can be categorized as muscular/bone pain or what we call somatic pain. It can be as a result of ner... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Depends on diagnosis: The first and foremost issue is to have the correct diagnosis and figure out what type of pain exists. The best strategy to improve sleep is not nece... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 25-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Physician can decide: Tramadol and Amitriptyline both exert some effect on serotonin containing nerve pathways. There is potential interaction between the two. Treating p... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Varies: Tens (transcutaneous electrical stimulation) is a non-invasive modality to decrease pain perception in many body areas. The concept is similar to whe... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Yes: Lyrica (pregabalin) or Pregabalin is primarily used for treating various neuropathic pain disorders. It does have some anti-anxiety and anti-seizure ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 25-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Yes: Naproxen is an anti-inflammatory medicine similar to over the counter motrin. Generally speaking, nsaids do a better job when there is inflammation, ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
With a doctor's help: Prescription pain medications come in multiple formats. Some are just stronger or longer acting versions of over the counter anti-inflammatories. Thi... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 18-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Various causes: Headaches could be a rather simple annoyance or very complicated. There are many factors causing headaches. Also, a headache could be a sign of anot... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 49-year-old male asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Either: It really depends on the anesthesiologist. There are a variety of agents that can be used for sedation. Propofol is a very effective agent but does ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 18-year-old male asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Diet/exercise: There is no “cure” for arthritis as of yet. Arthritis is essentially inflammation and wear of inside of joints. This could be related to genetic issu... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Speak to your doctor: Escalation of pain in an otherwise stable chronic situation could also mean worsening of the underlying condition. Instead of arbitrarily increasing ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Yes: The first and foremost one needs to know is why the pain is rated 10/10 which means almost a mortal pain. Very few conditions can cause such scenario... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Yes: Topamax or topiramate for generic is an anti-seizure medication. However, it has been used as a medicine to decrease the frequency and intensity of n... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 24-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Yes: Neurontin (gabapentin) is an effective medication for management of neuropathic or nerve generated pain. Nsiads as in anti-inflammatories do not typi... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Multiple ways: Antidepressants can address pain in multiple ways. They can be instrumental in various chronic pain states. Chronic pain takes an emotional toll, an... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
No: Even though vicodin (hydrocodone) may be used for management of post-operative pain, it does not have much application for treatment of pain associate... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Unlikely: Lortab is a combination of hydrocodone which is a narcotic and Acetaminophen (i.e. Tylenol). Even though people can have allergies to any medication,... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Depends on the dose: Oxycodone and hydrocodone are synthetic opioids and belong in the same family as morphine. Oxycodone is about 1.5-2 times more powerful than hydrocod... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Options are limited: Migraine is primarily a vascular phenomenon in the brain. There are a number of medications that are designed to help with the acute phase as well as... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Varies: Mobic (meloxicam) is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicine. It’s long acting and most patients should only take it once per day. Nsaids should no... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 52-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Depends on patient: Scs therapy is an effective modality to relieve various chronic pain disorders. It's an implanted device near the spinal cord. As with other implant... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
In special cases: After consultation with your physician, this might be appropriate in selected cases and on a short-term basis. The bigger question is why the patient... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Sciatica: Sciatica refers to a pain that radiates into the lower extremities typically because of impingement of nerves exiting the lower spine. Less common is... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 28-year-old male asked:
Dr. Sassan Hassassiananswered
Anesthesiology 31 years experience
Combo med: Vicoprofen (hydrocodone and ibuprofen) is a brand name for a pill that contains hydrocodone (a narcotic type medicine) and Ibuprofen (an anti-inflamma... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
TestimonialsRecommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
2
Recommendations
453
Thank you notes
HealthTap member
Mar 30, 2015
Dr. Hassassian is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Mar 31, 2015
Dr. Hassassian is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Thanks for your quick reply! I have arthritis and have had 5 surgeries already and I'm only 52 is there any advice besides exercise and eating fresh organic foods
HealthTap member
I tried really scaling back on my workouts and you were absolutely right. The headaches are significantly reduced in both frequency and severity.
HealthTap member
Its non cardiac related, but was diagnosed with chostochondritis, sorry for spelling error. Steroids is what I got and relief after 1st dose!!!
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
Eastern Virginia Medical School, VA
Graduated 1992MD
Awards
America' Top Doctors, Castle Connolly
Patient's Choice award
"Top Doctor", Washingtonian Magazine
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