Dr. Kehl’s treatment philosophy blends her advanced clinical training at the University of Minnesota (U of M) as a TMJ and Orofacial Pain Specialist with her scientific training as a neuroscientist (Neuroscience Ph.D. from U of M) to address the problem of musculokeletal pain.
During her post-Ph.D. scientific training, Dr. Kehl developed an animal model of muscle pain that is used widely at universities and pharmaceutical companies to investigate the biological mechanisms that cause musculoskeletal pain for the purpose of developing new treatments for their management. Subsequently, in her role as an Assistant Professor in the U of M’s Department of Anesthesiology, Dr. Kehl conducted a translational (a.k.a. “bench to bedside”) research program to elucidate mechanisms of clinical pain affecting deep tissues, including nonmalignant musculoskeletal pain (i.e. TMJ pain and dysfunction, myalgia, low back pain) and cancer pain.
In the same way that she educated medical students and dental students during her time as a faculty member at the U of M, Dr. Kehl strives to help patients understand factors that contribute to pain so they can achieve better control of it.
Professional Information
Meet Dr. Lois J Kehl |
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|---|---|
| Basic Information | Details |
| State Medical License | Minnesota D10160 |
| Physician NPI Number | 1356433346 |
| Board Certifications | University of Minnesota School of Dentistry – Doctorate of Dental Surgery (DDS), 1987 |
| Other Professional Roles | Director of Research, Dept. of Anesthesiology, University of Minnesota; 2002-2009 |
| Business Address | Minnesota Head & Neck Pain Clinic, PA 3475 Plymouth Blvd # 200 Minneapolis, MN 55447 |
| Phone: | (763) 577-2484 (651) 332-7474 |
Top Articles by Dr. Lois Kehl
- Emerson Krock, Lois Kehl, et al., “Interleukin-8 as a therapeutictarget for chronic low back pain: Upregulation in human cerebrospinal fluid andpreclinical validation with chronic reparixin in the SPARC-null mouse model,” EBioMedicine (Lancet Publishing), May 2019
- D. L. Basi, L.J. Kehl, et al., “Human temporomandibular joint andmyofascial pain biochemical profiles: a case-control study,” Journal of Oral Rehabilitation, 2012
- Aurelio Alonso, James Fricton, Dr. L. Kehl, et al., “A Quantitative Evaluation of Inflammatory Cells in Human Temporomandibular Joint Tissues from Patients with and without Implants,” Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 2009
- Symons, L.J. Kehl, et al., “Pain in individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Journal of Pain Management,” 2009
- Kehl, L.J. “Evoked and Movement-related Pain,” For: The Encyclopedic
Reference of Pain. Ed. Robert F. Schmidt and William D. Willis. Elsevier Publishing for the American Pain Society, 2007 - Rajan Radhakrishnan, Kehl, L.J. Kehl, et al., “Models of Muscle Pain: Carrageenan Model and Acidic Saline Model,” Protocols in Pharmacology, 2004
- Kehl, L.J., D. T. Hamamoto, et al., “A cannabinoid agonist differentially attenuates deep tissue hyperalgesia in animal models of cancer and inflammatory muscle pain,” 2003
Medical Procedures Offered
| Diagnosing and treating TMJ | Diagnosing and treating orofacial pain |
| On site maxillofacial CT scans to facilitate diagnosis | Dental splint therapy |
| Prescription of systemic or peripherally-acting medications | Diagnosing and treating headaches |
| Helping patients to identify the contributors to their pain | Identifying ways pain contributors can be modified to reduce pain levels and improve function |
| Treating obstructive sleep apnea | Customized referrals to other dental/medical specialists (i.e. neurology, physical therapy, health psychology, oral medicine, oral surgery, etc.) |
Leadership & Research Activities
| 2002-2009 | Assistant Professor & Director of Research, Department of Anesthesiology, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| 1999-2002 | Assistant Professor Department of Oral Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| 1994-1999 | Postdoctoral Research training, Department of Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| 1996 | Neuroscience Ph.D. awarded by University of Minnesota Medical School |
Philosophy of Care
I believe in evidence-based management of medical conditions. My academic
research training in the field of Neuroscience has given me the expertise to evaluate
published reports examining the effectiveness of various treatments for pain management.
I also believe it is important to educate patients in ways that they can help to manage
their own pain and I take time to discuss these techniques during appointments with
patients. As a result, most patients are able to achieve effective pain management without prescribing opiates or other addictive drugs.
Volunteerism
As part of the peer review process for publication of scientific research, I have reviewed numerous manuscripts submitted for publication to basic and clinical research peer-reviewed journals.
Personal Interests
Dr. Kehl enjoys cycling, cooking, enjoying new and interesting foods, Nordic Noir, traveling, movies, and music.
Lois Kehl DDS, PhD: Google Reviews
Lois Kehl DDS, PhD: Healthgrade Reviews
explaining what she was doing, and what she was looking for. She listened, she
validated my feelings and was genuinely concerned about finding the route cause and
relieving my pain. I have already recommended her to several co-workers.” – 8/5/2022