Pain Management

It’s important to note that we do far more than spinal surgeries at the Microsurgical Spine Center. Not everyone will need spine surgery or even be considered a candidate. Many of our treatment options focus on physical therapy and rehabilitation. Others use targeted injections to attack specific pain sites. Surgery is an option we turn to when less-invasive treatments are not effective. This model of integrated pain management looks at all parts of your health and your body to devise treatments that will hopefully eliminate or minimize the root causes of your pain rather than just soothing the symptoms.

We offer a wide variety of pain management services. They can be generally divided into two areas: spine treatment and non-spine treatment.

Spine Treatments for Pain Management

Epidural Injections

Many of our female patients may remember epidurals as a common option for pain management during childbirth. There is a wide-variety of epidural procedures that can be performed to help mitigate chronic pain. Thoracis epidural anesthesia, for example, can help reduce chronic pain in the intestines and is often used in conjunction with surgeries in the thoracic cavity (the main body cavity where your major organs such as the heart, lungs and liver are located.

Lumbar Epidural

These injections have been used since the 1950s and remain a key part of the treatment of non-surgical treatments of sciatica and lower-back pain. These epidural treatments help alleviate chronic pain, which is of course of great value to the patient. But they can also become part of an integrated rehabilitation program that focuses on strengthening and rebuilding damaged, painful muscles.

Nerve Root blocks

Nerve blocks are anti-inflammatory injections that target a specific nerve or group of nerves that are inflamed and causing pain. The injection can “turn off” the pain signal, which helps decrease inflammation. Again, this treatment can reduce pain while also allowing for exercise, surgery or rehabilitation of a painful part of the body.

Joint Injections

The good news about improving health standards is that we’re living longer. The bad news is that our joints wear out over time from life’s ordinary strains. Joint pain can also be caused by exercise or sports injuries. Joint injections target painful points by reducing inflammation and offering some necessary lubrication. Just like the Tin Man, we all need some oiling from time to time.

Trigger Point Injections

These injections can be an effective treatment to “turn off” or inactivate pain points, especially in patients suffering from myofascial pain syndrome. They can also be used to treat tension headaches and target muscles that are failing to properly relax.

Radiofrequency Denervation

This minimally-invasive surgical procedure targets the facet joints, small joints at the back of the spine that help keep it straight. The joints cause pain by pressing on nearby nerves. The RFD procedure helps stop pain signals, allowing a patient to start a physical therapy program.

Spinal Cord Stimulation

A temporary external device is used to send pulsed electrical signals to the spinal cord, usually near the lumbar region of the back. These electrical impulses help control chronic pain. If the trial is successful, a permanent implant will be performed.

Non-Spine Treatment for Pain Management

Medication for cancer pain – Cancer – and treatment therapies designed to drive out that cancer – can both cause pain. Spine care and pain management medications can help control that pain during treatment.

Sympathetic Blocks

A sympathetic block is an injection of anesthetic into or around your sympathetic nerves, which are located on either side of the spine in your lower back. The anesthetic can help relieve leg pain, especially after injury to a joint or limb.

Peripheral Nerve Blocks

These nerve blocks can shut off sensation to a limb or specific part of the body, preventing the body from feeling pain sensations from that part of the body.

Ganglion Block for Headache

This type of nerve block focuses on the ganglia, a nerve sell cluster that is a part of the central nervous system that helps internal organs function.

Botox Injections for Pain and Headache

Botox is far more than a cosmetic drug. Because botox helps immobilize tissue, it can be used to stock muscle spasms and can relax muscles, reducing or eliminating tension and migraine headaches.

As you can see, we are well prepared to offer advanced pain management to patients with a wide variety of issues. We hope to be a center for pain management that can help you keep your pain under control, allowing you to lead an active life.