New Diagnostic and Pain Management Procedures now offered at Monmouth Pain and Rehabilitation for Back Pain and Disc Injuries.
In a recent blog, I commented on the fact that Monmouth Pain and Rehab seems to be constantly adding new treatments to our list of services. When Dr. Mejia (our Medical Director) came on board last year, our office truly began to fill out and become the type of revolutionary pain management office I had spent so many years working toward.
You see, I don’t think anybody should be living with pain. For example, while back pain may be an extremely common complaint (and is difficult to relieve in some cases) it is definitely a treatable condition. Very few cases of back pain actually require surgery, and I can promise you that not one patient has ever conquered the cause of serious pain back with painkilling medications.
Some people may suffer with back pain for a few days and recover without any intervention. Others may require chiropractic, physical therapy, acupuncture, or other conservative treatment. Still others suffer with more severe cases of back pain. For these patients, we might choose from a variety of interventional procedures such as Epidural Steroid Injections, Sympathetic Nerve Blocks, or Facet Joint Injections.
Now Dr. Mejia is affiliated with Middletown Surgery Center and Riverview Medical Center to provide additional services to our patients. Essentially, interventional procedures that require general anesthesia can now be covered in these two locations.
The main advantage to this change is that Monmouth Pain and Rehab can offer even more pain management options, such as Radiofrequency Ablation and Discograms. These procedures represent the next step in conquering back pain. At Monmouth Pain and Rehabilitation, we never give up when it comes to correctly diagnosing and treating even the toughest cases of back and neck pain.
Okay, so what’s a Discogram?
Basically, this procedure is used for patients suffering from persistent, hard-to-treat, and difficult-to-diagnose back pain. This diagnostic procedure evaluates the condition of the intervertebral discs. A correct diagnosis is essential in effectively dealing with any condition.
Discograms are useful in providing important diagnostic information; they are mostly used when other pain management techniques and diagnostic processes have failed. This procedure can help determine whether or not your pain is originating from an injured spinal disc, or if the pain is related to other spinal conditions.
Injured spinal discs often occur in the lumbar spine (the lower back) or the cervical spine (the neck). As anybody who has suffered from a bulged or herniated disc can attest, this condition can be seriously painful and may restrict your ability to move normally.
Radiofrequency Ablation
Radiofrequency Ablation is the process of disabling the nerves that supply sensation to the facet joints. Radiofrequency energy is used to heat and destroy the nerves responsible for sending unnecessary, chronic pain signals to the brain. These nerves are known as the medial branch nerves; they are responsible for supplying the joints of the spine and sending pain signals to the brain. In many cases, this pain is caused by arthritis.
Other conditions treated with Radiofrequency Ablation include chronic back and neck pain associated with whiplash or herniated spinal discs. Patients suffering from back pain after spinal surgery can also benefit from Radiofrequency Ablation. In many cases, this procedure can offer more long-term results than steroid injections or nerve blocks.
Please contact our Red Bank pain management office today if you are suffering from chronic spinal pain, unresolved disc injuries, or any other painful condition. Our office provides medical services, physical therapy, chiropractic, and acupuncture; we are dedicated to providing the healthiest, least invasive, and most effective programs of pain management in Monmouth County.
