To best determine the Pain Management plan that is right for you, your first visit will consist of a thorough evaluation with your Pain Management physician. During this initial appointment, your physician will review a history of the painful condition, a physical examination and a review of doctors notes, X-rays, MRIs, laboratory studies and other information. After the results of testing are reviewed, a treatment regimen is recommended. Because Pain Management plans are tailored to your specific needs, the regimen is different for each patient and varies depending on the nature of the condition.

With this multi-disciplinary approach, we are able to manage complex and difficult pain conditions. During the treatment plan, your physician performs targeted procedures to alleviate your pain. The Pain Management physician’s role includes: serving as a consultant to other physicians while directing the multi-disciplinary treatment plan, counseling patients and families, prescribing and supervising rehabilitative and behavioral health services, as well as recommending and prescribing medications useful in the treatment of chronic pain.

If necessary to help treat your condition, the Pain Management physician may also recommend a series of steroid injections. If so, the Pain Management physician will determine and explain which specific procedure might be best for you. Throughout your pain management plan, your physician will be there to answer questions and offer guidance to help you towards living pain-free.

An epidural is an injection of steroids and an anesthetic. It is used to treat back pain by being inserted directly into the epidural space of the spine. Given by anesthesiologists or trained spine care physicians, epidurals can be administered in the office or a hospital setting.

Trigger point injections are used to target involved muscles that are sensitive to touch or excessive pressure. These sensitive muscles can also cause irritation to surrounding nerves. Irritated nerves can lead to what is known as ‘referred pain’ in which pain radiates in nearby areas. Injections are generally administered in the neck, back, and shoulders to help alleviate the pain and discomfort.

Stimulator implants allow the body to use its natural nerve pathways to control pain. The impulse is believed to block the brain’s ability to process pain. Working a bit like a distraction technique, the body focuses on the impulses sent out by the unit instead of the pain.

Epidural stimulators are placed internally through a needle in the back in a fashion similar to the administration of an epidural. The stimulator is passed down the tube of the epidural into the spine under general anesthesia and the device’s generator is deposited under the skin. Batteries must be surgically replaced every three to five years.

Facet injections are done through a minimally invasive procedure. It is used to temporarily relieve neck or back pain triggered by inflammation of the facet joints. Used as a diagnostic test to see if the pain is actually coming from your facet joints, facet injections can also be used as a treatment to relieve inflammation and pain caused by various spine conditions. The effects of facet injections tend to be temporary, providing relief for several days or even years. The goal is to reduce pain so that you may resume normal activities and physical therapy.