Wheaton is my hometown, so building a pain medicine practice that DuPage County patients are willing to drive to has always mattered to me personally. So many of my patients make the trip north from Wheaton to my interventional pain medicine practice in Hoffman Estates. It is a straightforward drive — about 30 minutes up I-355 and I-90 — and for the kind of subspecialty interventional pain care I do, my Wheaton patients tell me it is well worth it.

I am Dr. Keith Schmidt, MD, triple board-certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology, the American Board of Anesthesiology in Pain Medicine, and the American Board of Interventional Pain Physicians. I focus on the image-guided procedures that treat the source of chronic pain rather than just masking it.

Why Wheaton patients travel for interventional pain care

Wheaton has excellent general medical care, but interventional pain medicine is a narrow subspecialty. There is a real difference between a clinician who performs the occasional injection and a physician who does image-guided spine and joint procedures every day. My Wheaton patients tend to fall into a few groups:

  • Active professionals and families from downtown Wheaton and the Wheaton College area who want durable relief without months on chronic opioids.
  • Runners, cyclists, and weekend athletes with chronic back, knee, and joint pain — I am a triathlete myself, so getting people back to training is a goal I take personally.
  • Older DuPage residents managing spinal stenosis, compression fractures, and arthritis who want minimally invasive options before considering spine surgery.
  • Patients who have already had injections elsewhere that did not hold, and want a methodical diagnostic look at what is actually generating the pain.

The procedures Wheaton patients come for

These are the treatments I am asked about most often by patients traveling from Wheaton and the surrounding DuPage communities. Each links to a detailed guide:

  • Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) — long-lasting relief for facet-mediated back and neck pain and for knee arthritis, after a confirming diagnostic block.
  • Basivertebral nerve ablation (Intracept) — a single-procedure treatment for vertebrogenic low back pain, the deep midline ache that comes from the vertebral endplates.
  • Spinal cord and DRG stimulation — for nerve pain, sciatica that has not responded to other care, and persistent pain after back surgery.
  • Sciatica and radicular pain treatment — epidurals and targeted nerve work for leg pain from a pinched nerve.
  • Epidural steroid injections, medial branch blocks, genicular nerve blocks, and kyphoplasty for compression fractures.

If you are not sure which procedure fits your situation, that is exactly what a consultation is for. I have also written plain-English comparison guides on Intracept vs. RFA vs. epidural and RFA vs. medial branch block to help you understand the options before we even meet.

Conditions I treat for Wheaton patients

  • Chronic low back pain, herniated discs, and sciatica
  • Neck pain and cervical radiculopathy
  • Vertebrogenic (endplate) low back pain with Modic changes on MRI
  • Knee, hip, and shoulder pain, including pain after joint replacement
  • Spinal stenosis and vertebral compression fractures
  • Sacroiliac joint dysfunction
  • Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and post-surgical pain
  • Chronic migraine and occipital neuralgia

Directions from Wheaton

From downtown Wheaton, the simplest route is north on I-355, then west on I-90 toward Hoffman Estates — generally about 30 minutes depending on traffic. From the north side of Wheaton, Roselle Road and Gary Avenue north are an easy surface-street alternative. My office is at 1555 Barrington Road, DOB 3, Suite 2400, Hoffman Estates, IL 60169.

Insurance and scheduling

Most major plans accepted, including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Humana, and Medicare. We verify your benefits before the first visit and coordinate with your Wheaton-area primary care doctor on every consult and procedure note.

Call: (847) 981-3630   Online: Request an appointment

Frequently asked questions from Wheaton patients

How long is the drive from Wheaton?

About 30 minutes from downtown Wheaton via I-355 and I-90, a little less from the north end of town. Most patients find that a procedure delivering six to eighteen months of relief is well worth a few extra minutes in the car.

Is it really worth traveling out of DuPage County for this?

For routine care, no — but interventional pain medicine is a subspecialty, and the diagnostic discipline behind these procedures is what determines whether they work. Many of my Wheaton patients came after injections closer to home did not hold, because the wrong pain generator was being treated.

Will you coordinate with my Wheaton or DuPage primary care doctor?

Yes. I copy your primary care physician and any referring specialist on every note, so your local team stays in the loop.

I have already had back surgery and still hurt. Should I come in?

Yes. Persistent pain after spine surgery is one of the strongest indications for spinal cord stimulation, which has excellent long-term data. It is worth a consultation to map your options.