Brief Background

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Due to the relatively recent birth of the specialty of Interventional Pain Medicine, many patients are not fully aware of the services we offer. In a nutshell, we manage all types of pain regardless of etiology and using a variety of methods. These methods include, although are not limited to:

 

Epidural Steroid Injections

Anesthetic Peripheral Nerve Blocks

Joint Injections

Sympathetic Nerve Blocks

Trigger Point Injections

Spinal and Peripheral Nerve Stimulation

Kyphoplasty

Medication management

Ultrasound and X-ray guided injections

Radiofrequency lesioning of nerves innervating arthritic and painful joints

Physical and Occupational Therapy

 

Nearly all procedures are performed on an outpatient basis, saving substantial time and money for patients.

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Pain symptoms are often complex and frequently multifactorial in nature. Diagnosing the exact cause of pain is difficult and typically requires a strong fund of anatomic knowledge, conducting a thorough history and physical examination, and reviewing imaging studies and the effects of diagnosing procedures.

 

Based on our experience, we feel that all of these must be used together as individually, they are far less useful in helping to determine a correct diagnosis. For instance, imaging studies have low accuracy for identifying sources of pain (e.g., MRIs of the lumbar spine have positive findings in the majority of asymptomatic individuals and negative findings in many patients suffering from low back pain) and physical exam findings can be equivocal.

 

Correctly identifying the pain generator and recognizing and teasing out the varying factors contributing to the patient's symptoms are pivotal in developing the appropriate treatment plan. Without this, treatment may not be optimal. For example, a foot drop with associated pain symptoms may be caused by an entrapped nerve at the knee or at the nerve root level (radiculopathy). Without correctly diagnosing the location of the problem, treatments such as injections or surgery may be directed towards the wrong site.

 

In addition, because pain receptors are ubiquitous throughout the body, pain can stem from almost any part of the body including soft tissues, joints, or the nerves themselves. Each requires a different workup and a different approach to treatment. Top this off with the expanding problem of prescription drug abuse and you have a picture that can become very cloudy and complicated. Notwithstanding, it is our job to help you correctly identify the correct patient with the correct diagnosis for the correct treatment.

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Please click here to view the goals we aim to achieve with our patients.