Avoid Surgery with Interventional Pain Management
Monmouth Pain & Rehabilitation’s Medical Director offers a number of Interventional Procedures including Epidural Steroid Injections, Joint Injections and more in conjunction to Physical Therapy, Acupuncture and Chiropractic Care. All of these treatments help our patients recover from their painful conditions.
Our number one objective is to provide pain management strategies that allow patients to rehabilitate without excessive drug use or unnecessary, traumatic surgery.
At Monmouth Pain & Rehabiliation, we hope to offer our patients the chance to rehabilitate the best way possible – armed with knowledge necessary to make informed decisions about treatment plans and care. Our office also offers information on the use of painkillers. Please take a look at the statistics and learn more about surgery for painful conditions such as back pain.
For some patients, pain and other symptoms may be severe enough to warrant the use of more aggressive strategies. This does not mean that every patient in serious pain requires surgery or prolonged drug therapy.
Monmouth Pain & Rehabilitation’s Minimally Interventional Procedures:
- Epidural Steroid Injections
- Facet Joint Injections
- Sacroilic Joint Injections
- Coccyx Injections
- Trigger Point Injections
- Sympathic Blocks
- Spinal Cord Stimulator Trial
- Image-Guided Perpheral Joint Injections
- Viscosupplementation
- Radiofrequency Ablation
- Discograms
Epidural Steroid Injections
Epidural Steroid Injections are used for the relief of pain and inflammation associated with symptoms such as sciatica, abnormally aligned vertebrae herniated discs, arthritis and a number of other conditions. The Epidural steroid injections provide relief so that patients can feel well enough to begin to rehabilitate.
How do Epidural Steroid Injections work?
An Epidural Steroid Injections provides very serious pain relief by reducing the painful inflammation that is irritating or compressing the spinal nerves. It does so through the injection of the a long-lasting steroid (a corticosteroid or cortisone) in the epidural space – the area that is the outermost part of the spinal canal. To learn more about Epidural Steroid Injections please visit our Steroid Injections page here.
Facet Joint Injections
Facet joints are located at each segment of the spine and are involved with both the mobility and stability of the spice. Pain in these joints is often caused by trauma, mechanical stress or as a result of arthritis. A steroid injection in the neck (cervical spine), upper back (thoracic) or lower back (lumbar spine) can reduce pain.
How do Facet Joint Injections work?
The facet joint is filled with an anesthetic numbing agent. This medications works to numb the join, ligaments and capsule around the joint. If pain is temporarily eliminated by this action, the precise area of pain can be pinpointed. This serves as a jumping off position from which treatment options can then be discussed. Visit our Facet Joint Injections page and learn more.
Sacroiliac Joint Injections
Patients with lower back pain can benefit from this type of ccorticosteroid injection. The sacroiliac joint is located between the sacrum (the bone in the lower portion of the spine) and the right and left iliac (pelvic) bones.
Coccyx Injections
Injections of a corticosteroid as well as an anesthetic may be used as part of an overall plan of rehabilitation and pain management when lower back pain originates from the coccyx (the tailbone).
How do Coccyx Injections work?
Coccyx injections work by numbing agents provide temporary relief, corticosteroids last for several weeks, often allowing patients to use physical therapy, chiropractic, or other rehabilitative practices to manage the trauma or illness that is causing pain. To learn more about Coccyx Injections visit our page here.
Trigger Point Injections
Trigger Point Injections are used to alleviate myofascial (muscle) pain in the neck, lower back, arms, and legs. Trigger Point Injections may also be used to treat fibromyalgia or certain types of headaches.
How to Trigger Injections work?
Corticosteroids are similar in action to cortisol, a hormone produced naturally in the brain. Cortisol is helpful in that it helps the body in situations that involve trauma, pain, or stress of any kind. Corticosteroids act similarly—they are used to control inflammation and pain. In the case of myofascial pain, corticosteroids are injected to alleviate pain and relax the trigger point. For many patients, a short course of treatment with trigger point injections can offer longer term relief. To learn more visit the Trigger Injections page.
Sympathetic Blocks
Sympathetic Blocks work by injecting a numbing agent around the sympathetic nerves in the lower back or neck, the sympathetic nervous system in those areas is temporarily ‘blocked.’ This procedure can reduce or eliminate pain in order to allow for healing and rehabilitation. Learn more about Sympathetic blocks here.
Spinal Cord Stimulator Trial
Some chronic back pain sufferers may benefit from spinal cord stimulation—a therapy that involves the implantation of a device to block pain signals before they are able to reach the brain. Before implantation, a trial period is recommended in which a temporary implant is used to assess the effectiveness of this treatment.
Image Guided Peripheral Joint Injections
This steroid injection is used to relieve inflamed and painful joints in the shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees. Patients with tendonitis or arthritis often benefit from peripheral joint injections.
Viscosupplementation
For osteoarthritis in the knees, viscosupplementation involves the injection of hyaluronic acid into the knee joint. This provides the necessary lubrication to help the bones of the knee move smoothly over each other while also allowing for better shock absorption for joint loads. To learn more visit our Viscosupplementation page.
Radiofrequency Ablation
This treatment involves the ‘ablation’ of nerves surrounding the facet joints in order to destroy the ability to transmit pain signals to the brain. It is used for patients experiencing chronic pain, often in the lower back. Radiofrequency Ablation is performed in a surgical center or hospital. To learn more visit our Radiofrequency Ablation treatment page.
To learn more about Interventional Pain Management, or general rehabilitation and pain management in Monmouth and Ocean County, please contact our office.
