Pain management is a field that has some great new technology to it, and from it patients are enjoying better results than ever.
Some of the new procedures allow patients to decrease the amount of narcotics necessary for pain relief, and also allow more functional patients.
What exactly are the best pain management procedures in existence right now? What you can see is that newer is not always better, and this top 5 list includes some procedures that have been around for decades along with the new ones.
1.
Epidural injections - These injections have been around since the 1960's and remain the gold standard for nonoperative treatment of sciatica symptoms due to a herniated disc.
A JAMA study showed that patients who opt for nonoperative treatment for a herniated disc achieve the same outcomes as surgery at the one year point, yet do not have the risks of surgery.
So many patients opt for epidural steroid injections, and with good reason.
They work really well, the risks are small, and patients can receive a few in a series to receive better pain relief.
2.
Facet Blocks - Facet injections are a great nonoperative treatment for facet arthritis (facet syndrome).
The reason is that surgery into facet joints is not a good idea, since arthritis is usually present in multiple joints at one time.
So the injection can provide excellent relief and serve both a diagnostic and therapeutic purpose.
Months of relief can be obtained, and if the pain returns the injection can be repeated or the patient can opt for a radiofrequency ablation.
3.
Radiofrequency ablation - This procedure just keeps getting better and better as technology improves.
The procedure involves the pain doctor heating up the tiny little nerve endings which provide sensation (and hence pain) to facet joints of either the neck or low back.
The heat kills the nerve endings, and the procedure may reduce pain for up to 2 years! 4.
Spinal Cord Stimulation - electrical stimulation involves providing a "paddle" into the spinal canal permanently.
The paddle is able to transmit electrical impulses with optional programming to relieve patient back pain, leg pain, or it can also be put into numerous other areas such as the neck.
It is a great option for people who are not surgical candidates and need a last resort for pain relief.
These stimulators can achieve 60-90% pain relief which is amazing for patients who have no surgical option and are stuck with narcotics.
5.
MILD - Minimally Invasive Lumbar Discectomy - this is a fairly new procedure that is fluoroscopy guided and percutaneous.
It permits the doctor to decompress the spinal canal in the face of spinal stenosis.
The jury is still out on it because of its "newness" but it's showing promise.
Some of the new procedures allow patients to decrease the amount of narcotics necessary for pain relief, and also allow more functional patients.
What exactly are the best pain management procedures in existence right now? What you can see is that newer is not always better, and this top 5 list includes some procedures that have been around for decades along with the new ones.
1.
Epidural injections - These injections have been around since the 1960's and remain the gold standard for nonoperative treatment of sciatica symptoms due to a herniated disc.
A JAMA study showed that patients who opt for nonoperative treatment for a herniated disc achieve the same outcomes as surgery at the one year point, yet do not have the risks of surgery.
So many patients opt for epidural steroid injections, and with good reason.
They work really well, the risks are small, and patients can receive a few in a series to receive better pain relief.
2.
Facet Blocks - Facet injections are a great nonoperative treatment for facet arthritis (facet syndrome).
The reason is that surgery into facet joints is not a good idea, since arthritis is usually present in multiple joints at one time.
So the injection can provide excellent relief and serve both a diagnostic and therapeutic purpose.
Months of relief can be obtained, and if the pain returns the injection can be repeated or the patient can opt for a radiofrequency ablation.
3.
Radiofrequency ablation - This procedure just keeps getting better and better as technology improves.
The procedure involves the pain doctor heating up the tiny little nerve endings which provide sensation (and hence pain) to facet joints of either the neck or low back.
The heat kills the nerve endings, and the procedure may reduce pain for up to 2 years! 4.
Spinal Cord Stimulation - electrical stimulation involves providing a "paddle" into the spinal canal permanently.
The paddle is able to transmit electrical impulses with optional programming to relieve patient back pain, leg pain, or it can also be put into numerous other areas such as the neck.
It is a great option for people who are not surgical candidates and need a last resort for pain relief.
These stimulators can achieve 60-90% pain relief which is amazing for patients who have no surgical option and are stuck with narcotics.
5.
MILD - Minimally Invasive Lumbar Discectomy - this is a fairly new procedure that is fluoroscopy guided and percutaneous.
It permits the doctor to decompress the spinal canal in the face of spinal stenosis.
The jury is still out on it because of its "newness" but it's showing promise.