Interventional Pain Management

From Chronic Discomfort to Recovery

Recovery from an orthopaedic injury or disorder relies on managing pain and discomfort. Unresolved pain interferes with sleep, may cause depression, and keeps us from moving the way we’ve been used to. The ability to heal along with the quality of life both suffer.

It is essential to manage pain before it becomes too intense. The sooner we treat pain, the less likely it is to worsen or lead to other complications.

We categorize pain as:

Acute pain
Acute pain means the pain is short in duration (relatively speaking), lasting from minutes to about three months (sometimes up to six months). Acute pain also tends to be related to a soft-tissue injury or a temporary illness, so it typically subsides after the injury heals or the illness subsides. Acute pain from an injury may evolve into chronic pain if the injury doesn’t heal correctly or if the pain signals malfunction.
Chronic pain
Chronic pain is longer in duration. It can be constant or intermittent. For example, headaches can be considered chronic pain when they continue over many months or years – even if the pain isn’t always present. Chronic pain is often due to a health condition, like arthritis, fibromyalgia, or a spine condition.
Neuropathic pain
Neuropathic pain is due to damage to the nerves or other parts of the nervous system. It is often described as shooting, stabbing, or burning pain, or it feels like pins and needles. It can also affect sensitivity to touch and can make someone have difficulty feeling hot or cold sensations. Neuropathic pain is a common type of chronic pain. It may be intermittent (meaning it comes and goes), and it can be so severe that it makes performing everyday tasks difficult. Because the pain can interfere with normal movement, it can also lead to mobility issues.
Nociceptive pain
Nociceptive pain is a type of pain caused by damage to body tissue. People often describe it as being a sharp, achy, or throbbing pain. It’s often caused by an external injury. For example, if you hit your elbow, stub your toe, twist your ankle, or fall and scrape up your knee, you may feel nociceptive pain. This type of pain is often experienced in the joints, muscles, skin, tendons, and bones. It can be both acute and chronic.
Radicular pain
Radicular pain is a very specific type of pain can occur when the spinal nerve gets compressed or inflamed. It radiates from the back and hip into the leg(s) by way of the spine and spinal nerve root. People who have radicular pain may experience tingling, numbness, and muscle weakness. Pain that radiates from the back and into the leg is called radiculopathy. It’s commonly known as sciatica because the pain is due to the sciatic nerve being affected. This type of pain is often steady, and people can feel it deep in the leg. Walking, sitting, and some other activities can make sciatica worse. It is one of the most common forms of radicular pain.

As Interventional Pain Management specialists, we employ a multidisciplinary and comprehensive approach to pain relief. Our team uses a combination of medications, office-based ultrasound-guided injection procedures, surgical center-based interventional procedures, and functional rehabilitation, to reduce and eliminate pain.

Physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM & R), also called physiatry, is the branch of medicine emphasizing the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disorders – particularly related to the nerves, muscles, bones, and brain – that may produce temporary or permanent impairment. Patients often seek PM&R physicians not only for their expertise in back pain but their emphasis on non-surgical solutions. Our goal is to educate you about your diagnosis, provide you with the tools to manage your condition, and get you back to the things you love.

In most cases, we recommend that patients first explore conservative therapies, as non-surgical options often lead to significant improvements. When surgery is the better choice for more long-term relief, our spine team is experienced from outpatient spinal surgery to major spinal reconstruction.