Treatment Options
The SSM Health Pain Care team is dedicated to reducing and, when possible, eliminating chronic and debilitating pain through safe, credible medical practices.
Treatment Options for Chronic Pain
At SSM Health Pain Care, our credentialed, board-certified, and fellowship-trained team of doctors works collectively to relieve you of your pain and offer the latest pain management options. We will work collaboratively with you to create a customized treatment that may include some of the following:
- Also referred to as an epidural block, pain medication is injected in to the epidural space around your spinal cord and spinal nerves, stopping the nerves from transmitting pain signal
- Used to treat: neck, mid-back, lower back pain and radiating pain
- A small amount of anesthetic and anti-inflammatory medication is injected in the area of the facet joint.
- Used to treat: neck, back, or leg pain caused by inflammation, irritation, or arthritis of the facet joints
- An injection of cortisone into the joints in the lower back.
- Used to treat: lower back pain from inflammation and/or swelling of the joint tissue
- Heat is used to create a lesion on a painful nerve to decrease pain perception by the brain.
- Used to treat: back pain, neck pain, headaches
- An injection of anesthetic into different nerves to determine if there is damage to the sympathetic nerve chain.
- Used to treat: nerve pain, reflex sympathetic dystrophy or complex regional pain syndrome in the arms or legs
- Injection of a local anesthetic into a tight band of muscles (called a trigger point) to alleviate pain.
- Used to treat: extremely painful areas of muscle, specifically in the arms, legs, lower back, and neck
- Injection of a local anesthetic between the two ribs where the intercostal nerve is located, temporarily blocking or disrupting painful nerve impulses.
- Used to treat: upper back, chest and rib pain
- Heat energy is used to alter small sensory nerves around the spinal joints that are causing pain.
- Used to treat: lower back pain
- The region around an irritated nerve root is isolated and injected with an anti-inflammatory medication.
- Used to treat: symptoms of a herniated disc, sciatica, or swelling/irritation of the nerve roots
- A pacemaker-sized stimulator device is surgically implanted under the skin. It electrically activates a pain-inhibiting process and causes a tingling sensation that masks pain. The stimulator sends pulsed electrical signals to the spinal cord to control chronic pain.
- Used to treat: lower back pain and leg pain
- Like the spinal cord stimulator, an intrathecal pump is a pacemaker-sized specialized device that is surgically implanted under the skin. The pump delivers concentrated amounts of pain-relieving medications into the spinal fluid area through a small catheter (tubing).
- Used to treat: lower back pain
- These are minimally invasive procedures for vertebral compression fractures that occur in the small bones that make up the spinal column. The fractures are most common in people with the bone-thinning condition osteoporosis. In vertebroplasty, physicians inject a special cement mixture through a needle into the fractured bone. In kyphoplasty, a balloon is first inserted through the needle into the fractured bone to create a cavity or space to restrict where the cement goes.
- Used to treat: vertebral compression fractures
- Injection temporarily eliminates pain by stopping muscle spasm, helping to determine if piriformis muscle contractures are involved in the cause of the pain.
- Used to treat: buttock and sciatica-type pains
- Injection of a steroid and anesthetic around the ganglion impar nerves in the lower spine to block pain impulses.
- Used to treat: chronic pelvic pain
- A pressure gauge measures the pressure of the spinal discs to identify the source of pain, then contrast dye is injected to determine the shape of the disc.
- Used to treat: determine the source of persistent spinal pain and identify the best treatment method
- Treatment, healing, and prevention of injuries or disabilities by relieving pain, promoting healing, and restoring function and movement. Active physical therapies include stretching, strengthening, aerobic, and pain relief exercises.
- Used to treat: a variety or muscle and joint pain
If pain is interfering with your life, take action to conquer it. Contact us today to learn more about the treatment options we offer at SSM Health or to schedule an appointment.