Chronic pain can turn your world upside down by getting in the way of your daily life. If you have extreme long-term pain, you may not spend quality time with family and friends, and activities you once enjoyed become challenging. Sometimes medications and other conservative treatments may not alleviate the pain. If that is the case for you, do not despair because pain management in Falls Church can help you combat chronic pain and improve your quality of life. Below are the standard pain management procedures.
Nerve blocks
A nerve block is a procedure that uses injections to administer medicines that block pain in a specific nerve. Usually, the nerves transmit pain signals to the brain. Nerve blocks interrupt these signals, preventing your brain from interpreting the signals as pain. The type of nerve block your doctor uses depends on your treatment plan, as others offer short-term and others long-term pain relief. The medications can either numb the area or relieve inflammation. Specialists use imaging tests such as fluoroscopy as a guide to direct the needle in the right place.
Patients with chronic pain can benefit from long-term relief from pain. A nerve block can help manage arthritis pain, low back pain, cancer-related pain, labor and delivery pain, and pain after surgery. While getting the injection, your doctor requires you to be still to avoid the medicine from spilling onto other areas.
Spinal cord stimulation
Spinal cord stimulation is a surgical procedure that involves implanting a device in the epidural space to send low levels of electricity to the spinal cord to alleviate pain. The process requires two surgeries, and the first one is meant to establish whether the device works for you. Usually, your doctor may only recommend this procedure if other nonsurgical treatments don’t offer pain relief. Spinal stimulation can be used to treat or manage post-surgical pain, back pain, injuries to the spinal cord, and nerve-related pain.
Radiofrequency ablation
It is a minimally invasive procedure that uses heat to destroy nerve fibers transmitting pain signals to the brain. Its action method is similar to a nerve block as both approaches aim to interrupt pain signals. Good candidates for radiofrequency ablation have experienced pain relief after a diagnostic nerve block injection. Radiofrequency ablation can benefit patients with chronic pain due to conditions such as arthritis and spondylosis. Those with peripheral nerve pain can also experience pain relief with this procedure.
Infusion therapy
Infusions or IV therapy involves administering medications directly into your bloodstream to offer faster pain relief. Patients with chronic pain who can’t take oral medications or are unresponsive can benefit from infusion therapy. The side effects of this treatment depend on the type of medication your doctor administers.
Previous patients have reported side effects such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, muscle stiffness, and itchiness at the injection site. Depending on your problem, infusions can be administered in different parts of your body, including the spinal cord and subarachnoid space.
If you have chronic pain that will not improve with conservative treatments, consult with your doctor at Integrated Neurology Services to explore your pain management procedures.
