Pain relief can be a challenge for chronic pain sufferers. Fortunately, modern pain medicine offers minimally invasive treatments to manage and treat conditions causing chronic pain. Apart from prescription medications, interventional pain management uses techniques, such as injections and radiofrequency ablation to directly address the source of your pain.Leading pain management clinics use a multi-disciplinary approach to relieve your pain and other symptoms. Interventional pain management is used in conjunction with medication management, physical therapy and other treatments to provide lasting pain relief to the patient.
Here is a look at the some of the most effective interventional pain management techniques offered at leading pain clinics.
Injections
Injections can provide pain relief by sending medications, such as steroids, near the pain causing nerves to relieve pain. For instance, the epidural steroid injection sends steroids directly to the inflamed nerve root in your lumbar spine.
Other injections such as facet joint injections, nerve root blocks, and sacroiliac joint injections can offer pain relief lasting up to a year.
Radiofrequency Ablation
Radiofrequency Ablation or Rhizotomy uses X-ray guidance and heat generated with radio waves to temporarily turn off a nerve’s ability to send pain messages to your brain.
This procedure has proven highly effective in arthritis back, neck and joint pain and can provide pain relief for 6 to 12 months.
Intrathecal Pump
Commonly known as pain pumps, intrathecal pump implants provide powerful medication straight to the source of your pain. Pain pumps are effective in managing cancer pain and failed back or neck surgery.
A small device or pump is implanted under the skin to deliver a specific amount of medication, which can be refilled every few months. The pain pumps offer consistent pain relief and save you from becoming too dependent on oral medication.
Spinal Cord Stimulation
Spinal cord stimulation is delivered through an implant. The implant sends electrical pulses directly to the area causing pain, such as the spinal cord, nerves, or brain. It can also be used for some spine conditions as well as conditions such as diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
Your pain doctor will discuss with you about which interventional pain management technique is the right option for you. He may even advise a combination of these techniques as part of a comprehensive treatment plan to offer pain relief and improved quality of life.
If you have any questions about interventional pain management, call the top pain management doctors in Gilbert, AZ at Desert Interventional Spine Consultants at 480-838-1914. DISC is committed to providing the highest quality spine care with Board certified and highly experienced pain specialists, cutting edge interventional pain treatments and precise diagnostic tests.