The complexity of pain has never been more evident than it is today. Pain is one of the largest health challenges America faces today. Pain can have a devastating impact on a person’s ability to lead a normal personal and professional life. More than 50 million Americans say that pain affects their ability to perform daily activities. Back pain is the most common of all types of body pain that disrupt daily life.
That is why the best pain doctors in Phoenix at Pain and Spine Clinics urge patients to come to pain management as early as possible. Early pain management can prevent pain from progressing into a debilitating hindrance and reduce the need for long-term treatment.
One of the most common interventional pain treatments is Epidural Steroid Injection. It is often recommended if medication and physical therapy have failed to relieve pain and symptoms.
The epidural injection is used to treat back pain in patients with bulging or herniated discs, spondylosis and spinal stenosis. The injection is used to stop pain associated with compression or irritation of the nerve roots in the cervical spine, to stop radiculopathy pain, and to ease discomfort associated with head, neck, or extremity problems.
The epidural injection is a relatively easy procedure where the pain doctor injects a mixture of a local anesthetic and a steroid into the soft space just behind the bones of the spine. The powerful medications work together to numb the area and to reduce inflammation and irritation that lead to back and leg pain.
A study published in the official journal of the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, looked at the effectiveness of epidural injections for patients with back and leg pain caused due a herniated disc. The study followed patients for 2 years. After 24 months at the conclusion of the study, 71% of patients receiving injections containing both a local anesthetic and a steroid reported at least a 50% reduction in pain and disability. In addition, opioid narcotic use declined and employment increased in this group.
Another clinical study found that pain scores decreased by 87% at 4-6 months following a cervical ESI using steroid/lidocaine combination.
To consult the best pain doctors in Phoenix, call Pain and Spine Clinics at 480.565.PAIN (7246).
Pain management doctors and back pain specialist in Phoenix, Arizona can treat all types of pain including different kind of headaches such as migraines, cluster headaches etc. They also specialize in spinal cord stimulator treatment, radiofrequency ablation, kyphoplasty treatment in Phoenix, Arizona to treat back and neck pain, pelvic/abdominal pain, RSD and discomfort in one’s shoulder, hip, knees and ankle joints.