Interventional Pain Management
focus on diagnosing and treating acute and chronic pain conditions using minimally invasive techniques. These procedures target the source of pain, offering relief and improving your quality of life.
We utilize a range of advanced treatments, including:
1. Epidural Steroid Injections (ESIs)
•What it is: A corticosteroid is injected into the epidural space to reduce inflammation and pain, particularly from herniated discs, radiculitis from nerve root compression, spinal stenosis, or sciatica.
•How it works: By delivering steroids directly to the inflamed nerve root or nearby tissues, the medication reduces swelling and pressure on the nerves, offering significant pain relief.
•Indications: Commonly used for lower back pain, leg pain (sciatica), and neck pain caused by disc herniation or stenosis from arthritis/bulging disc or facet arthritis.
2. Facet Joint Injections
•What it is: Steroids and anesthetics ( or anesthetics alone for diagnostic injections) are injected into the facet joints, which are small joints between the vertebrae.
•How it works: These joints can become inflamed due to arthritis, injury, or degeneration. The injection helps reduce pain by targeting inflammation in the joint.
•Indications: Typically used for neck or back pain originating from the facet joints, particularly in patients with arthritis, spondylosis, or segmental degeneration below or above the previous surgical levels.
3. Nerve Blocks
•What it is: A nerve block involves injecting an anesthetic, and sometimes a steroid near specific nerves to “block” pain signals from reaching the brain.
•How it works: This is both diagnostic and therapeutic. If the injection provides relief, the targeted nerve is likely the pain source and longer-term treatments may be pursued.
•Types: Examples include peripheral nerve blocks, sympathetic nerve blocks (for complex regional pain syndrome), and stellate ganglion blocks (for arm or facial pain).
•Indications: Used for various pain syndromes, including chronic regional pain syndrome (CRPS), cancer pain, and post-surgical pain.
4. Facet Medial Branch Blocks
•What it is: A diagnostic and therapeutic injection targeting the medial branch nerves that supply the facet joints and deep lumbar paraspinal muscles.
•How it works: An anesthetic is injected near the medial branch nerves, which transmit pain from the facet joints. If the block relieves the pain, the physician can target the nerves for more permanent solutions, such as radiofrequency ablation.
•Indications: Used to diagnose and treat facet joint pain in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine caused by arthritis or injury.
5. Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)
•What it is: A procedure that uses radiofrequency energy to heat and slow the painful nerve signals from the previously treated facet medial branch nerves causing pain.
•How it works: The heat generated by the radiofrequency energy significantly reduces the nerve conduction from transmitting pain signals to the brain.
•Indications: Primarily used for patients with chronic back or neck pain caused by arthritis or disc degeneration and for certain types of joint pain like knee or hip pain.
6. Genicular Nerve Blocks
•What it is: A diagnostic and therapeutic anesthetic injection near the genicular nerves that innervate the knee joint.
•How it works: By blocking the pain signals from the genicular nerves, patients can experience relief from chronic knee pain, particularly from arthritis or after knee surgery.
•Indications: Used for chronic knee pain, particularly in cases of osteoarthritis or after knee replacement surgery when pain persists.
7. Sacroiliac (SI) Joint Injections
•What it is: An injection of steroids and anesthetics into the sacroiliac (SI) joint, located between the sacrum and the iliac bones of the pelvis.
•How it works: The injection targets inflammation and pain in the SI joint, helping to reduce lower back and leg pain.
•Indications: Used for lower back pain (a.k.a “butt pain”) related to sacroiliac joint dysfunction, which can occur from arthritis, pregnancy, or trauma.
8. Trigger Point Injections
•What it is: A small amount of anesthetic or saline is injected directly into painful muscle knots, or “trigger points.”
•How it works: These injections relax the muscle and relieve pain caused by the trigger points, which can be from overuse, injury, or chronic tension.
•Indications: Used for myofascial pain syndrome or muscle-related pain, commonly in the neck, shoulders, or lower back.
