Interventional Pain Management

If you live with pain that won’t go away, you know how frustrating it can be.  It can be debilitating and hold you back from the things you enjoy most in life. Rather than just focusing on medication to help with pain, board certified physicians rely on an extensive array of interventional techniques to help tackle the pain and return to normal activities as quickly as possible.

PAIN RELIEF WITHOUT SURGERY

The goal of interventional pain management specialists is to help patients control their chronic pain, without surgery, and without the use of potentially habit-forming narcotics.  Their expertise lies in their ability to pinpoint the exact source of a patient’s pain, and choose the treatment that most effectively “intervenes” with the transmission of pain signals throughout the body.  While these physicians specialize in comprehensive spine-related pain management, they possess the necessary training and skills to treat your pain from head to toe. 

Treatment for pain varies, depending on the cause. Some treatments are designed to reduce pain, and some are designed to help patients manage pain. More common methods used by pain interventionists to relieve pain include:

EPIDURAL STEROID INJECTION (ESI)

This non-surgical procedure is an injection of long-lasting steroid (cortisone) in the epidural space. The epidural space is located above the outer layer surrounding the spinal cord and nerve roots.  An ESI is performed to help reduce the inflammation and pain associated with nerve root compression caused by a herniated disc, spinal stenosis, and bone spurs.  The goal of the ESI is to help lessen the inflammation of the nerve root.

FACET JOINT INJECTION

This non-surgical procedure is an injection of steroid into the facet joint of the spine.  The facet joint is where the vertebrae of your spine connect together.  These injections work by reducing the inflammation and irritation of the facet joints that are causing your neck or lower back pain caused by spinal stenosis, arthritis, whiplash, herniated discs, or injury.

SACROILIAC (SI) JOINT INJECTION

This non-surgical procedure is done to diagnose or treat pain from sacroiliac joint syndrome. The pain caused by SI joint syndrome may be felt in your lower back, buttocks, groin, and your thigh.

NERVE BLOCKS

These non-surgical procedures inject nerve-numbing substances into specific areas of the body that cause pain.  Various areas of pain require different nerve block types.

BOTOX® INJECTIONS FOR CHRONIC MIGRAINE

If you have the frequent, severe headache condition known as “chronic migraine,” may want you to try injections of BOTOX® in your head and neck. The injections can help stop migraines before they start.

TRIGGER POINT INJECTIONS

This outpatient procedure frequently performed by pain management physicians is designed to reduce or relieve the pain of trigger points. These small, tender knots can form in muscles or in the fascia (the soft, stretchy connective tissue that surrounds muscles and organs). The physician injects an anesthetic mixture into the trigger point. This causes the trigger point to relax.

SPINAL CORD STIMULATION (SCS) TRIAL

Spinal cord stimulation (also called SCS) uses electrical impulses to relieve chronic pain of the back, arms and legs. It is believed that electrical pulses prevent pain signals from being received by the brain. SCS candidates include people who suffer from neuropathic pain and for whom conservative treatments have failed.

RADIOFREQUENCY ABLATION (RFA)

This minimally-invasive procedure involves heat generated from radio waves to target specific nerves and temporarily turn off their ability to send pain signals.  This procedure, also called radiofrequency rhizotomy or radiofrequency neurotomy, can treat pain that doesn’t respond to medications or to physical therapy.

Interventional pain specialists are dedicated to your satisfaction and recovery.  They understand your pain and will provide you with one-on-one attention and the best available treatment options to help you find lasting relief. At The NeruoMedical Center we look forward to working closely with you and your doctor to help meet your overall health goals and improve your quality of life.