Pain Treatment

Radiofrequency neurotomy specifically targets damaged nerves by using radio waves and heat to interrupt the function of the problematic nerve. It’s less invasive than surgery and only produces mild discomfort during the process. Typically takes less than an hour to perform. Learn more about this procedure or schedule a consultation.

The cervical epidural steroid injection procedure is used to decrease the swelling of pinched and compressed nerves in the cervical spine that can be caused by herniated discs and spinal stenosis. The steroid used is made up of anesthetic and cortisone, an anti-inflammatory combination that will stop swelling and decrease pressure in the nerves. Some patients can feel immediate relief after one shot but it can take up to three injections given weeks apart for significant relief to be felt by the patient. Learn more about this procedure or schedule a consultation.

Facet joint injections work by blocking the transmission of pain signals from the facet joints to the brain, providing pain relief. The anesthetic used in the injection numbs the area, while the corticosteroid reduces inflammation and provides long-lasting pain relief. Learn more about this procedure or schedule a consultation.

The use of stem cells is an extraordinary breakthrough in regenerative medicine. Stem cells begin as undifferentiated cells that can become specialized and divide to create more stem cells.

The introduction of this kind of natural element – in this case, one found within the human body – can dramatically stimulate the body’s ability to self-repair. As a treatment for various orthopedic situations, such as degenerative disc disease, the injection of stem cells has been found to slow the degenerative process and in fact to help regenerate the spine. Learn more about this procedure or schedule a consultation.

The stellate ganglion is a cluster of nerves located in the front of the neck, on each side of the voice box. During this procedure, a practitioner injects medicine directly into this nerve cluster which can relieve neck, head, upper arm, and upper chest pain and help your doctor pinpoint the causes of your aches. Learn more about this procedure or schedule a consultation.

During this procedure, a medical professional draws your blood and places it in a centrifuge machine to separate the platelet-rich plasma from the other components of the blood. Then your platelets are injected into the site that needs healing. Learn more about this procedure or schedule a consultation.

During the procedure, a practitioner will place a needle into your affected nerve and attach an electrode. As radio waves flow through the needle and into your nerve, heating the area, causes a lesion to form and obstruct any pain signals. Learn more about this procedure or schedule a consultation.

Pain resulting from damaged facet joints can be eliminated with this minimally invasive procedure. A needle-sized tube called a cannula is inserted using a fluoroscope x-ray near the irritated medial branch. A surgeon will then insert a radiofrequency electrode using a weak electric jolt to test positioning. The electrode is used to heat the nerve to the point of cauterization, stopping the medial branch nerves from sending pain frequencies to the brain. Pain is likely to increase a week after the procedure but relief will come within a month and can have longer lasting effects than a steroid block injection.

Steroid injection treatment is administered to relieve pain and reduce inflammation in the area around your spinal nerves. Learn more about this procedure or schedule a consultation.

This procedure is administered to relieve pain and inflammation from irritated spinal nerves. It only takes a few minutes to administer the steroid-anesthetic medication to clear away lower back and leg pain. The process begins with the patient laying face down with a cushion directly under the abdomen to bend the spine and open up the foramina. The physician will then inject a local anesthetic to numb the skin and tissue around the spine and will guide a needle to the space around the irritated nerve root. A contrast solution is used to determine the correct point for injection and the medication will be administered to the spinal nerves. Once the steroid anesthetic sooths the irritated nerve roots the patient should feel relief right away. Some patients may need more than one injection in order to receive the full relieving effects of the medication administered.

When arthritis creates pain in the sacroiliac joint, a steroid injection is administered to relieve pain and reduce inflammation at the point of the spine and hipbone. The patient will lay face forward with a cushion under the stomach to arch the back while the physician locates the sacroiliac joint using a fluoroscope x-ray. After numbing the local skin and tissue with an anesthetic, the physician will then insert a needle into the sacroiliac joint, injecting a mixture of steroids and anesthetics to the area of pain.

his injection is administered to alleviate pain in the lower back and legs due to swelling caused by spinal conditions. To prepare for the procedure, the patient will lay face down with a pillow under the stomach to allow better access to the epidural space in the spine. Skin and tissue around the lumbar vertebra bone is anesthetized using a local anesthetic and a fluoroscope is used to insert a needle between vertebra in the epidural space. When the location of the needle tip is confirmed and a mix of steroids and anesthetics are injected to soothe the enflamed nerve. After the procedure many patients will feel a significant amount of pain relief, however some patients may need to repeat the injection to feel the medication’s full benefits.

A facet joint is the point between vertebrae that allows the spine to twist and bend. This procedure is used to diagnose which facet joint is causing a patient pain. The procedure begins with the patient laying face down. The physician will administer a numbing anesthetic for the skin and tissue around the affected joint. A contrast dye is then injected to pinpoint the area of injection. Using live x-ray images from the fluoroscope, the physician will confirm the location and position of the needle. Once this is done the medication will be fed through an attached syringe and will bathe the small branch nerves that generally carry signals for the facet joint, numbing all feeling. If the patient feels relief from this injection, the physician will inject a longer lasting anesthetic. If pain is still felt by the patient, other facet joints will need to be tested to identify which is the cause of pain.

When a patient has had an injury to a joint or limb, leg pain can develop from these pain syndromes. To treat the pain a series of injections are administered. To prepare for the treatment the patient will lay on his or her side while an IV line begins running a numbing anesthetic to the skin and tissue of the sympathetic nerves as well as a medication that will calm the patient. The physician will then use a fluoroscopic x-ray unit to inject Contrast dye to identify the areas affected and to determine the location of the injection. A mixture of anti-inflammatory medication is then injected to block pain signals from arriving to the brain. Legs may feel frail once the procedure is completed but the pain is only temporary. The block procedure should be repeated every week and until the pain is fully relieved.

A celiac plexus block procedure is performed to diagnose pain in the abdominal region that is caused by cancer or pancreatitis. The first step of this procedure is numbing of the skin using a local anesthetic. Once the back is completely numbed, a physician will insert a needle to the celiac plexus nerves using an x-ray or CT scan for guidance. A dye is then injected to assure that the needle placement is correct. The physician will inject anesthetic medicine around the affected nerves to stop pain signals from affecting the brain. The first injection is sometimes administered as a test and if the patient feels relief a permanent injection will be given to provide the patient with immediate and lasting pain relief.

This procedure is administered to diagnose the amount of spinal discs causing back pain. A lumbar discography is used as an aid to assist the physician in planning future treatment. To prepare for this procedure the patient should lie on the side while medication is given to calm the patient and keep them awake. The patient needs to be awake to inform the physician about what is felt throughout the procedure. A local anesthetic is applied to numb the tissue and skin around the disc area. An x-ray is used to guide the needle through to the center of the disc and is repeated for each disc. After placing the needles, the physician will inject contrast dye and the patient will be asked to inform the physician about whether pain or pressure is felt. If the patient experiences pain, the disc may be diseased. After testing is done a fluoroscopic unit is used to take images of the discs. This procedure will not take more than an hour to perform. Soreness may be felt by the patient a few days after the procedure but can be relieved with acetaminophen and ice.

In this procedure a steroid-anesthetic medication is injected into a sacrum opening to alleviate the pain of inflamed nerves in the spine. To prepare for this procedure the patient will lay face down over a cushion placed on the abdomen to raise the sacrum. Once the preparation is completed an anesthetic injection will be administered to numb the affected area. Upon effectively numbing the Sacral hiatus, the physician will direct a needle to the location of the irritated nerve roots and inject a contrast solution. Using an x-ray device called a fluoroscope the physician will ensure that the placement is correct and will then inject the medication. It takes a few minutes to administer the injection and once completed the patients pain should be immediately relieved. In some cases, more than one injection will be needed for full benefit to be felt by the patient.

There are some instances when injections are the most effective procedure available to treat pain. Steroid injections, for example, can significantly reduce pain-causing inflammation, and may provide many months of relief following a single injection.

Injections may also aid in diagnoses. For example, a stellate ganglion block enables the doctor to locate the areas of pain through the injection of a colored solution. In this case, once located, the irritated or inflamed areas are bathed in a soothing anti-inflammatory, anesthetic saline solution. In this procedure, as with any procedure involving an injection of this nature, both a relaxing IV line and local anesthesia are applied so the patient remains comfortable throughout. Our patients’ comfort is our first and final priority.