Interventional Pain Management
What is Interventional Pain Management?
Interventional Pain Management is a medical sub-specialty that utilizes pain blocking techniques to help make day-to-day activities less difficult, and effectively restore quality of life for patients. Injections, nerve blocks, electrostimulation, implantable drug delivery systems or other minimally-invasive surgical techniques may be used as part of the treatment plan.
Interventional Pain Management is generally used when pain is severe enough to interfere with daily activities, and other treatments have not been successful in reducing pain. If you are searching for a solution to your chronic or acute pain, then it may be time to find an Interventional Pain Management doctor who can help.
Types of Interventional Treatment:
There are many types of Interventional Pain Management treatments. A major goal of these treatments is to help improve your day-to-day activities, reduce pain, and improve quality of life while decreasing the amount of medication you take, or avoiding medication altogether. The type of treatment you receive will be based on your specific condition and symptoms, as each type of treatment varies in terms of invasiveness. Some of the most common Interventional Pain Management techniques include:
- Injections: Some common types of injections are Epidural Steroid Injections, Facet Joint Injections/Medial Branch Blocks and Trigger Point Injections. Each of these injections targets different sources of pain in the body. Injections generally include a numbing agent and a steroid.
- Radiofrequency Ablation: This treatment is usually used to treat lower back and neck pain, especially when pain is caused by arthritis. This technique uses a radio wave to produce an electrical current, which is then used to heat an area of nerve tissue. This method decreases the pain signals from that area. This technique is performed after injections have confirmed that the targeted area is the source of pain.
- Spinal Cord Stimulation: This technique treats chronic pain by applying gentle electrical currents to the source of the pain. Electrical leads are inserted close to the spinal column, while a tiny generator is inserted into the abdomen or buttock. The generator emits electrical signals to the spinal column, thus blocking the ability for the brain to perceive pain.
- Nerve Blocks: Pain signals travel down nerves to the brain. Nerve blocks are used to interrupt these signals to provide pain relief. The type of nerve block will depend on your treatment plan, as some are minimally invasive and may last for hours or days. Other nerve blocks require surgical procedures, and may be long-term or permanent.
