From Chronic Pain to a New Lease on Life: Barry Wilkey’s Story

For lifelong athlete and Riverside community member Barry Wilkey, physical activity was more than a hobby; it was part of his identity. Growing up on a farm and participating in martial arts, wrestling, bodybuilding, and weightlifting shaped his life. Even into adulthood, Barry stayed active through biking and regular time at the gym. That all changed when chronic pain began to take hold.

Coming from a background where pain was familiar, Barry still knew something wasn’t right. In describing the severity, he compared it to a serious injury. “On a scale where a broken arm is about a seven, this was a six,” he states. Over time, the pain became debilitating. “It really kind of paralyzed me in my life,” Barry adds. “I was actually getting to the point where I was thinking, ‘What’s the end game here? Is it a walker?’”

Surgery or No Surgery? That Was the Question

Barry tried everything he could to avoid surgery. “I always thought surgery would be the last thing I’d ever think of in my life,” he shares, noting he had heard too many “horror stories.” He exhausted conservative options, including medication, cold packs, acupuncture, and extensive physical therapy—guided by his wife, who is a doctor of physical therapy. Despite those efforts, the pain continued to worsen. “It was not going away. It was getting worse and progressively worse,” Barry mentions. Eventually, even his wife told him, “This is getting serious.”

Before coming to Riverside Healthcare, Barry admits his outlook had grown bleak. “It was getting dark. I didn’t really think there was going to be an avenue.”

That changed once he entered Riverside’s care. Starting with a visit to Nurse Practitioner Valentino, Barry was quickly referred to interventional pain medicine. He described the process as smooth and intuitive. “The process itself was seamless,” he offers. “It seemed like I went through a natural progression that wasn’t tough to navigate.” Tools like MyChart only added to the experience. “It made it seamless for me.”

Navigating the Interventional Pain Medicine Journey

Meeting interventional pain medicine specialist Dr. Shori initially came with some apprehension. “In my mind, pain management is management of pain, not alleviation of problems,” Barry admits. But that concern faded quickly. “He really approached me as a person first,” Barry assures, noting that Dr. Shori took time to understand his background, goals, and athletic mindset. “He embraced me as a person and as the athlete that I still hoped to be.”

The day of the procedure exceeded Barry’s expectations. From early morning check-in to the operating room, he felt supported. “The staff was awesome,” he notes. “They were professional, they were kind.” During the procedure, Dr. Shori explained each step. “The whole time he is talking to me, and I don’t feel anything,” Barry recalls. “I’m expecting to feel some pain, some pressure. I don’t feel anything.”

The procedure took just 15-20 minutes. Within a day, Barry noticed dramatic improvement. “I was actually laughing,” he offers, remembering how severe his pain had been before. Recovery continued steadily. “With inside of four or five days, I was back at the gym, albeit just going light,” he says. Then came the realization that the pain wasn’t returning. “I feel repaired, fixed, and complete.”
Today, Barry calls his experience a game changer. “What I got out of it was a new lease on a life I had,” he emphasizes. “It was more than pain management. It was solving a problem for me.”
His message to others is clear: “If you have pain, please look up Dr. Shori and Riverside Medical Center,” Barry urges. “They changed my life.”

For more information about orthopedics at Riverside, visit myrhc.net/orthopedics.