Read more about radiofrequency rhizotomy and see if you’re an ideal candidate.

What is radiofrequency rhizotomy?

Radiofrequency rhizotomy is a minimally invasive outpatient procedure that does not require anesthesia. During the therapy, most patients will feel either nothing or a mildly warm sensation. The procedure length varies based on your pain location and the number of treatments your doctor performs.

How does it work?

The procedure begins with you lying on your stomach on an X-ray table. Your pain specialist will insert an intravenous (IV) line to deliver a relaxation medication to keep you comfortable during the procedure. He or she will inject the numbing medication into your skin—where the procedure site is—before inserting the radiofrequency needles.

The doctor will then use a special X-ray machine to guide the radiofrequency needles along the medial nerves of your back to the precise area so only the targeted nerve tissue will receive treatment. He or she will then numb the targeted nerves to minimize pain during the procedure.

Next, radiofrequency waves will heat the tip of the needle. This will create a heat lesion on the nerve to disrupt the nerve’s ability to send pain signals to your brain. Your pain specialist will repeat this process for any additional nerves that are causing you discomfort.

Why would someone have a radiofrequency rhizotomy?

The goal of this therapy is to reduce or eliminate pain and related symptoms by using heat. Radiofrequency waves ablate (or remove) the nerve causing pain, essentially eliminating the transfer of pain signals to the brain. Your doctor may suggest this procedure if you have pain that:

• Occurs on one or both sides of your lower back
• Spreads to your buttocks and thighs (but not below the knee)
• Feels worse if you twist or lift something
• Feels better when you’re lying down

There are many benefits of this procedure like avoiding surgery, immediate pain relief, little to no recovery time, decreased need for pain medication, improved function, and a quicker return to work and other activities.

What are the side effects?

As with most medical procedures, there are risks and potential complications you should be aware of. Radiofrequency rhizotomy’s side effects may include:

• Temporary numbness
• Temporary pain at the procedure site
• Worsened pain due to muscle spasms in the treated area
• Nerve damage
• Allergies or reaction to medications
• Bleeding
• Infection

Your pain specialist will walk you through these risks and side effects and help you create a plan of action for avoiding or addressing these.

Who is an ideal candidate for radiofrequency rhizotomy?

To help you determine if you’re an ideal candidate, your doctor may refer you to a pain specialist or order more tests. You must have responded well to diagnostic or trial injections to qualify for radiofrequency rhizotomy.

Before you can schedule a procedure, you generally must undergo a series of spinal injections and/or discography tests to verify the exact source of your symptoms. Because of the specific focus, the procedure may not be an effective solution is your symptoms stem from a number of sources.

If a steroid injection confirms the joint is the likely source of pain, then your pain specialist may recommend a diagnostic nerve block test to determine if a radiofrequency rhizotomy would provide more lasting pain relief.

What is the recovery like?

Your pain specialist will return you to the recovery area, where you’ll be under observation for about an hour. Most patients can walk around immediately after the procedure. Patients may experience pain from the procedure up to 14 days, but this is generally due to the residual effects of the nerve “burn” or muscle spasm. Your doctor can help you treat this discomfort with safe amounts of pain medication.

Patients are often back to work 24 to 72 hours after the procedure. You’ll typically experience substantial pain relief within 10 days. However, this relief may be immediate for some patients and take up to three weeks for others. Schedule a follow-up appointment with your doctor after the procedure to discuss your progress and address any concerns.

Radiofrequency rhizotomy is a quick therapy that will help with your pain and allow you to go back to your daily activities the day after the procedure. No one wants daily aching, and a radiofrequency rhizotomy procedure could be the long-term solution you’ve been looking for.

Lafayette Pain Care is a pain clinic in Indiana. We’re dedicated to helping our patients find lasting relief from chronic and acute pain so they can return to the activities they love. For more information, please visit our website and like us on Facebook.

The post Chronic Pain Treatment Option: Radiofrequency Rhizotomy appeared first on Lafayette Pain Care.

Your doctor can diagnose the underlying cause of your pain or refer you to a specialist who can offer the latest technology and techniques for diagnosing and treating chronic discomfort.

If your pain isn’t responding to conventional treatments, you’re hoping to regain mobility for physical therapy, or you want to minimize your use of pain medications, an epidural steroid injection may be best for you.

Read on to learn what an epidural steroid injection is, how it works, and if you’re an ideal candidate for the procedure.

What is an epidural steroid injection?

Epidural steroid injections provide patients relief from chronic pain from injury or sciatica in their legs or lower back. A doctor injects a steroid (a small dose of anti-inflammatory medication)  into the spine between the vertebrae and the space surrounding the spinal cord and nerves.

Temporarily easing pain with this injection allows patients to experience the mobility necessary to start physical therapy. This means you’re finally treating the source of pain and on your way to a long-term solution.

How does an epidural steroid injection work?

This is an outpatient procedure using local anesthetic. The patient lies face down on a table, and a pain specialist injects medication into the space near the spine in your lower back. The procedure only takes 10 to 30 minutes.

For some patients, relief begins immediately after the injection. For others, there is a slight recurrence of the pain they’d been experiencing before the medication takes effect.

Pain reduction from an epidural steroid injection may be short-term, lasting from one week to one year. However, once you have more mobility again, you can start physical therapy, which will help you work toward long-term relief.

Does an epidural steroid injection hurt?

While the experience is slightly different for everyone, most patients do not experience any pain during or after the injection. With the help of the local anesthetic, some patients feel nothing at all before finding relief after the procedure.

Common sensations during an epidural steroid injection include:

• Tingling or pressure at the injection site
• Mild discomfort as the medication enters the epidural space
• Temporary pins and needles in your limbs

Are there risks or side effects?

This is a common, understandable question from all patients. Risks of an epidural steroid injection are minimal. Most patients experience relief with no problems.

As with any procedure of this type, it’s possible that a patient could experience side effects, including:

• Infection at the injection site
• Bleeding at the injection site
• Headache related to spinal procedures
• Temporary leg numbness or weakness

Your pain specialist will walk you through all possible risks and side effects so you can prevent them or address any issues that arise.

Who is a candidate for an epidural steroid injection?  

Those experiencing lower back and leg pain should talk to a doctor about possible options, especially if your chronic pain has not responded to prior treatments.

An epidural steroid injection is ideal for those with conditions such as:

• Degenerative disc disease
• Injured spinal nerves, vertebrae, and tissue
• Lumbar disc herniation
• Lumbar spinal stenosis
• Sciatica

If you’re experiencing chronic pain, an epidural steroid injection may be right for you. Talking to an expert can help you determine what procedure may work well for relieving your pain, regaining your mobility, and making physical therapy possible to potentially treat the underlying cause of your discomfort.

Lafayette Pain Care is a pain clinic in Indiana. We’re dedicated to helping our patients find lasting relief from chronic and acute pain so they can return to the activities they love. For more information, please visit our website and like us on Facebook.

The post Chronic Pain Treatment Option: Epidural Steroid Injection appeared first on Lafayette Pain Care.

If you’re suffering from consistent back, neck, or leg pain, but you haven’t found an effective solution, it may be time to consider an intrathecal pump implant. Read on to learn what a pump implant is, what to expect from the procedure, and what makes an ideal candidate.

What is an intrathecal pump implant?

An intrathecal pump implant delivers small amounts of medication to a targeted space around the spinal cord. Pinpointing and treating this area as the source of pain can help patients experience substantial relief.

Intrathecal pump implants are designed to decrease your need for oral pain medications. They’re especially effective for treating conditions such as:

• Pain from failed back surgery
• Cancer pain
• Pain and discomfort resulting from brain and nerve injury
• Abdominal pain from chronic pancreatitis

How does an intrathecal pump implant work?

The area around your spine containing cerebrospinal fluid is called the intrathecal space. An intrathecal pump is a round device, similar to a metal hockey puck. A doctor places the pump under the skin of the abdomen, with a small tube running to the intrathecal space to carry and deliver medication.

Because the patient receives medicine from the reservoir within the pump rather than taking it orally, he or she needs much less to experience relief. It can even be set up to release different amounts of medication at varying times of day, depending on your routine. Those with a pump will simply need to make regular appointments to have their medication reservoir refilled.

This is an outpatient procedure beginning with a trial to ensure the pump is the right option for you. Once it proves to be effective in treating pain, the physician will surgically insert a permanent pump. Permanent intrathecal pump implants are reversible, but they require surgery for removal.

Does an intrathecal pump implant hurt?

This is a common question for many patients. Because the placement of an intrathecal pump implant is surgical, you may experience some discomfort during the healing process.

Beyond this, patients usually experience little to no discomfort as a result of the pump. In fact, it should significantly decrease feelings of chronic pain in most people. If you continue to experience pain after the surgery, talk to your doctor as soon as possible.

Are there risks or side effects?

An intrathecal pump implant has minimal risks, including catheter movement, fluid buildup, or problems with pump functionality. These are all issues that you can resolve by visiting your doctor. Additionally, the medication itself may have side effects, but your pain specialist will probably detect these during the trial period.

As with any procedure, there are small risks of infection or bleeding, but your physician will walk you through ways to prevent these. Most patients have few (or no) side effects and simply experience the relief they’ve been wanting.

Who is a candidate for an intrathecal pump implant?

If you’re experiencing chronic pain in your back, neck, or legs, you may be a candidate for an intrathecal pump implant.

Most patients who benefit from having a pump have similar qualities:

• More conservative treatments have been ineffective in treating your pain.
• You rely on prescription pain medication.
• Additional surgery is not possible or practical.
• The trial pump decreased your pain.
• You are free of other psychological or physical conditions that could decrease pump effectiveness.

Continuing to suffer from chronic pain despite trying a variety of treatments can be discouraging, but there is hope. An intrathecal pump implant can provide relief with minimal risks and side effects. If you think you may be a candidate for an implant, an expert can help you decide which steps you should take to find lasting relief.  

Lafayette Pain Care is a pain clinic in Indiana. We’re dedicated to helping our patients find lasting relief from chronic and acute pain so they can return to the activities they love. For more information, please visit our website and like us on Facebook.

The post Chronic Pain Treatment Option: Intrathecal Pump Implant appeared first on Lafayette Pain Care.