Interventional pain management involves healthcare providers working together to provide acute and chronic pain treatments and services. Doctors relieve, reduce, and manage pain through various minimally invasive techniques to improve your quality of life. Your interventional pain specialist Eugene, OR, can help you quickly return to your daily activities without heavy medication reliance. Interventional pain management covers conditions affecting your nerves, bones, joints, and muscles, such as herniated discs, spinal stenosis and sports injuries. The commonly used treatments include:/
Nerve blocks
In some conditions, pain signals will travel down nerves to your brain. Nerve blocks interrupt these signals providing pain relief. There are many types of nerve blocks, and the one your specialist uses depends on the treatment plan. Some nerve blocks are minimally invasive, lasting for hours or days and others require surgical procedures which can be long-term or permanent.
Injections
Epidural steroids, lumbar sympathetic blocks, facet joint, and trigger joint are the commonly used injections in interventional pain management. Each type targets a different site of your body. The injections consist of a numbing agent and a steroid. The numbing agent relieves pain in your back and joints for a short period, while steroids decrease inflammation and give long-term relief.
Radiofrequency ablation and neuromodulation
Radiofrequency ablation is used to treat lower back and neck pain, commonly in arthritis. In this method, your specialist uses a radio wave to produce an electric current to heat the area of affected nerve tissue. The process aims at reducing pain in your nerves and joints. Neuromodulation uses a spinal cord stimulator implant to prevent pain signals from going from the spine to the brain.
Spinal cord stimulation and peripheral nerve field stimulation
Spinal cord stimulation involves applying gentle electric currents to the pain source to treat chronic pain. Your doctor inserts electrical leads close to your spinal column and a tiny generator into your abdomen or buttock. The emission of electrical signals to your spinal column will block the ability of the brain to perceive pain. Peripheral nerve field stimulation is related to spinal cord stimulation, but this method is localized on other body parts.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy
Platelet-rich plasma treatment involves your doctor injecting your platelets into the affected area to reduce pain and heal soft tissue injuries like ligament and tendon damage. The doctor takes your plasma and centrifuges it to extract platelets in this process. The platelets will be injected directly into the injured tendon and cartilage. You will notice less pain and improved function of the damaged part within six weeks.
Kyphoplasty
Kyphoplasty is used when your pain comes from a spine fracture. Your doctor administers local anesthesia and sedation, makes an incision in the back at the injury site, and threads a small balloon through the cut. The balloon is inflated to gently push any damaged bone back to the correct position. Your specialist will finally insert cement in the area to hold the bone in the appropriate place.
Interventional pain management addresses the root cause of your pain to develop the best treatment option. Call Pacific Sports and Spine to schedule an appointment to determine the best interventional pain management technique to treat chronic or acute pain.
