At 71 years old, Robin Kirker isn’t ready to slow down just yet.
A longtime resident of Ivins, Kirker’s physically demanding routine is anything but typical for someone her age. She hikes 2 miles with her dogs every morning, cycles anywhere from 15 to 30 miles daily and goes rock climbing three times a week. But behind her active lifestyle is a decades-long battle against chronic pain that has been supported by the experts at Desert Pain Specialists.
“If I have any part of my body that’s really hurting me to where I can’t function the way that I need to, they help me every time,” she said. “I can’t tell you how amazing my experience has been.”
Kirker’s journey with chronic pain began in the saddle. She spent decades riding several horses a day, some at the Olympic level, and attending horse shows nearly every weekend. The wear and tear on her body was inevitable.
As a professional horse trainer, back pain came with the territory. But when it started affecting her ability to participate in the activities she enjoys, she knew she had to do something.
That “something” turned into a 15-year partnership with Dr. Court Empey, an interventional pain management specialist and the founder of Desert Pain. Introduced to the clinic by her mother, Kirker soon became a regular patient herself.
“He understands me,” she said. “Not a lot of doctors do, and they won’t understand you, but he does.”
Kirker has received a range of therapies over the years, including steroid injections, Botox injections and radiofrequency ablation, a minimally invasive procedure that uses heat to destroy nerves causing pain signals. While not every treatment was successful, Empey and his team helped her navigate the options, always with the goal of keeping her moving.
Empey, a St. George native and avid cyclist himself, said that Kirker embodies what’s possible when pain care is personalized and proactive.
“It’s been really rewarding to be out on the trails and see her out there in her 70s, just still being the biker that she wants to be,” he said.
Kirker has undergone back surgery as well as a hip replacement during her time with Desert Pain. After enduring years of pain caused by a riding accident in which a horse fell on her, the hip procedure was long overdue. She delayed treatment out of fear, but looking back, she now encourages other people struggling with chronic pain not to make the same mistake.
“I suffered for a very long time because I was terrified of getting an injection and terrified of having surgery, and now I tell people, don’t wait,” she said. “Life’s too short, because I’ve had cancer three times — life is too short.”
As Southern Utah’s most established pain clinic, Desert Pain provides an unmatched standard of care. The team is dedicated to helping patients find relief from a wide range of chronic and acute pain conditions using all available resources, including injections, nerve blocks, cutting-edge regenerative medicine, physical therapy, medications and surgery.
“We have a dedicated staff of five board-certified pain physicians,” Empey said. “We’re trained in all the latest procedures in pain management. We’ll work on all aspects of your pain.”
Empey and his team measure success by how well patients function on a day-to-day basis. From active retirees looking to hit the trails to accident victims recovering from traumatic injuries, Desert Pain delivers innovative pain solutions designed to fit each individual’s lifestyle and goals.
Kirker continues to see Empey as needed to help her maintain her busy schedule. She’s able to enjoy being outdoors daily with far less pain than before, or sometimes no pain at all, while doing what she loves.
“He keeps me going, pure and simple,” she added. “There will be a time, of course, when I won’t be able to, but until then, Dr. Empey keeps me going.”
Desert Pain has been serving Southern Utah patients since 2007. Although the practice has expanded to 12 locations over the years, their mission remains the same: to provide world-class pain care, right here at home.
Visit desertpainspecialists.com or call 435-216-7000 to schedule an appointment.
Resources
- Desert Pain Specialists | Telephone: 435-216-7000 | Email: contact@desertpainspecialists.com | Website.
- Locations:
- St. George: 617 E. Riverside Drive, Suite 301.
- Hurricane: 48 S. 2500 West, Suite 110.
- Cedar City: 1760 N. Main St., Suite 220.
- Beaver: 68 N. Main St.
- Panguitch: 200 N. 400 East.
- Kanab: 348 N. 300 West.
- Delta: 126 S. White Sage Ave.
- Fillmore: 700 S. Highway 99, Suite 3.
- Richfield: 1000 N. Main St., Suite C.
- Richfield: 245 N. Main St.
- Mesquite, Nevada: 340 Falcon Ridge Parkway, Suite 603.
- Overton, Nevada: 475 N. Moapa Valley Blvd.
