Pain Management

New advances in pain management offer patients a growing number of options including:

• Basivertebral nerve ablation treats chronic low back pain due to degenerative disease. This treatment is used in carefully selected patients by specifically targeting pathology in the lumbar spine.
• Botox injections to treat migraines that have not responded to medication.
• Epidural steroid injections to treat pain arising from nerve impingement caused by disc herniations and arthritis. Examples are cervical, thoracic and lumbar epidurals.
• Joint injections using ultrasound or x-ray to place medication into a painful joint to alleviate symptoms. Examples are injections to relieve shoulder, knee, hip, facet and SI (sacroiliac) joint pain.
• Minimally-invasive lumbar decompression corrects the main cause of lumbar spinal stenosis to help improve pain and mobility.
• Nerve blocks local anesthetic is used with or without steroids to selectively target nerves around the source of pain to alleviate symptoms. Examples are medial branch blocks and peripheral nerve blocks.
• Peripheral nerve stimulation targets and treats nerves that are painful to provide long-term pain relief. This treatment can be applied to many areas of the body including the neck, back, shoulder, groin and knee.
• PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injections use a patient’s own blood cells to accelerate healing in various conditions, such as joint and tendon injuries.
• Radiofrequency ablation uses heat to selectively destroy nerve tissue from arthritic joints in the neck, back and joints to lessen or eliminate pain signals.
• Spinal cord stimulation delivers small electrical currents at the spinal cord to alter a patient’s perception of pain signals coming from various parts of the body and provide relief.
• Sympathetic ganglion blocks are a procedure that can offer pain relief in neuropathic pain, visceral pain and vascular pain.
• Trigger point injections treat pain from muscle spasms to help improve stiffness, range of motion and pain.

All treatments are same-day, minimally-invasive, and image-guided for safety and to provide the best possible outcomes.

Pain control options may also include:

• Counseling and behavioral programs
• Nutritional consultation
• Pain relief medication
• Physical and occupational therapy
• Relaxation techniques including meditation, healing touch therapy, massage or music

Diagnosing the source or cause of pain can be difficult. Because each person perceives pain differently, patients are encouraged to be active partners in their care.

• Where the pain is located
• What it feels like (sharp, throbbing, aching)
• When it usually occurs (for example, at night or climbing stairs)

Information from the questionnaire and a complete physical exam help the staff create a treatment plan. Some patients may keep a journal to record specific details related to their pain during treatment. This helps the pain specialist know whether the treatment is working or needs adjusting.

Medical Exam and History

Many people who suffer from pain have already undergone tests or are taking medication. For the first visit to the Center for Pain Management, patients should bring:

• All past studies (MRI, CAT scan, X-rays, ultrasounds, blood tests)
• Any evaluations from other physicians
• Lists of all current and past medications and their side effects

Based on the first consultation and physical exam, the pain specialist will determine whether you  can be helped and appropriate treatment options will be discussed.