Interventional Pain Management
Our Pain Management Specialists have been successful in caring for patients with challenging conditions, patients for whom other treatment plans have failed.
Procedures
Epidural Steroid Injections (Cervical, Thoracic, Lumbar, Caudal, Piriformis)
This injection procedure is commonly used to treat back pain. The practitioner injects steroid and/or local anesthetics into the epidural space to decrease inflammation and pressure on nerves and to provide pain relief.
Transforaminal Steroid & Select Nerve Root Injections
During this procedure, steroid and/or local anesthetic is injected in the openings of the vertebrae through which nerves exit in order to provide pain relief and decrease inflammation.
Sympathetic Celiac Blocks
This outpatient procedure is often done to provide relief from severe pain secondary to a condition such as cancer. The practitioner injects medication in the celiac ganglion in the abdomen.
Superior Hypogastric Blocks
This is an advanced, minimally invasive procedure used to treat pelvic and genital pain that has been unresponsive to oral medications and other treatments. Medication is injected into the hypogastric plexus (a meshwork of nerves within the pelvis) to provide pain relief.
Sacroiliac Joint Injections
This injection procedure is performed to relieve pain in the sacroiliac (SI) joint. Medication is injected directly into the joint where the spine and hip bone meet.
Facet Injections
The facet joints are the articular surfaces between vertebrae. Facet joint injections are performed to deliver anti-inflammatory and anesthetic medication directly to the joint to reduce inflammation and block pain signals.
Medial Branch Blocks (Cervical, Thoracic, Lumbar)
This procedure involves the injection of local anesthetic close to the medial branch of the nerve supplying the facet joint in order to provide pain relief.
Radio Frequency Ablation (Occipital, Cervical, Thoracic, Lumbar, Suprascapular, Pudendal)
Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive procedure that uses a specialized needle to deliver thermal energy directly to the nerves that are causing pain. Radiofrequency waves ablate (or “burn”) the nerve in order to block or eliminate the transmission of pain signals to the brain. Prior to performing an RFA, your physician may recommend a medial branch block, which can help to determine if an RFA procedure will provide relief.
Spinal Cord Stimulator Trials
Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) works by blocking pain signals in the spine. Thin wires with attached electrodes are inserted into the epidural space. Once there, the electrodes are able to deliver small electrical impulses in order to interrupt the transmission of nerve impulses that deliver pain signals to the brain. During the trial period, only the wires are implanted and the generator (which is similar to a pacemaker) remains outside of the body.
Spinal Cord Stimulator Permanent Implants
If the trial period is successful, the generator portion of the Spinal Cord Stimulator is implanted into the body. The Spinal Cord Stimulator delivers electrical impulses that interrupt pain signals, preventing these signals from reaching the brain. An external controller allows the patient to regulate the level of stimulation.
Intrathecal Pumps
Intrathecal Pumps are indicated for select chronic pain patients who have failed to receive relief from more conservative treatments and for whom surgery is not recommended. Once implanted, the pump delivers small amounts of pain medication directly into the cerebral spinal fluid surrounding the nerves that deliver pain signals.