CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — As integral parts of a comprehensive pain management practice, the advanced practice providers at Desert Pain Specialists treat ailments from head to toe and every joint in between. Nurse practitioner Joanne Abegglen draws upon decades of health care experience to provide the highest level of care for patients across Southern Utah. 

Abegglen initially joined Desert Pain in 2016 and has remained involved with the clinic on and off over the years while running her own house call practice. However, working with pain patients will now be her sole focus.

“It’s a great clinic,” she said. “The people are positive, they’re upbeat, they’re honest. But most of all, they have the integrity of a clinic that I want to work with.”

Abegglen plans to see patients at Desert Pain’s main location in St. George three days a week. She will provide clinic care and refer patients to interventional pain management physicians for procedures as needed.

Born in Connecticut, Abegglen moved frequently growing up due to her father’s service in the Air Force. She completed undergraduate studies at Weber State University and obtained a master’s degree from Brigham Young University in 2001.

Her first job as a nurse practitioner was at an ear, nose and throat clinic in Provo. She was living in Delta at the time and commuting 95 miles each way on a daily basis. Needing something closer to home, she relocated to Southern Utah and applied at a pain clinic.

“It was a huge paradigm shift from ear, nose and throat to pain management, but it’s become a passion of mine,” she said. “I think people sell themselves short on what they can accomplish even though they’re in pain.”

Abegglen has focused mainly on pain management throughout her career but also has provided primary care, which she said lends itself well to helping patients with chronic pain. She has contracted with the Department of Veterans Affairs for the past 11 years, traveling across the country to conduct disability exams and provide medical opinions. She also spent six years as a nursing instructor for Weber State.

Having worked as a nurse practitioner in various settings for over 20 years, Abegglen enjoys the camaraderie of being part of a clinic and making lasting patient connections. That’s something she’s looking forward to doing more of, she said, after being mostly self-employed for the past several years.

Along with helping people become more functional, pain management providers build long-term relationships with their patients. Abegglen said she has known some of her patients for as long as 15 years. Others she doesn’t see as a medical provider anymore, but they’ve become friends.

Abegglen has lived in Southern Utah longer than anywhere else, and she considers it home. She said she particularly enjoys working in such a wellness-focused community.

“I travel all over the place, and this is always where I want to come back to.”

As Southern Utah’s premier interventional pain management team, Desert Pain practices evidence-based, forward-thinking medicine that integrates the newest available treatments. They address all types of chronic and acute pain conditions, including back pain, neck pain, sciatica, neuropathy, migraines and sports injuries.

Call 435-216-7000 or visit the Desert Pain website to schedule an appointment today.

Written by ALEXA MORGAN for St. George News.

• S P O N S O R E D   C O N T E N T • 

Resources

• Desert Pain Specialists | Telephone: 435-216-7000 | Email: [email protected] | Website.
• Locations:
  • St. George: 617 E. Riverside Drive, Suite 301.
  • Hurricane: 48 S. 2500 West, Suite 110.
  • Cedar City: 1760 N. Main St.
  • Beaver: 68 N. Main St.
  • Panguitch: 200 N. 400 East.
  • Kanab: 348 N. 300 West.
  • Delta: 126 White Sage Ave.
  • Fillmore: 65 N. Main St.
  • Mesquite, Nevada: 340 Falcon Ridge Parkway, Suite 600.
  • Overton, Nevada: 475 N. Moapa Valley Blvd.

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