Interventional pain medicine is a medical subspecialty which uses minimally invasive procedures to diagnose and treat persistent pain conditions.
Common Conditions And Symptoms
- Common Conditions: Chronic back pain, arthritis pain, cancer pain, migraines, and pain from nerve damage or injuries are common reasons to see a specialist.
- Symptoms: This approach is often needed for chronic or severe pain, pain that doesn’t respond to conservative treatments, or a decreased quality of life caused by pain.
Diagnostic And Treatment Process
- Diagnosis: The process involves a thorough pain assessment, patient history, physical examination, and often imaging or diagnostic procedures.
- Treatment: Before interventional techniques, conservative treatments like medication and physical therapy are typically tried first.
- Techniques: Interventional techniques include nerve blocks, epidural steroid injections, radiofrequency ablation, spinal cord stimulation, restorative stimulation, and advanced minimally invasive procedures.
- Goals: The primary goal is to significantly reduce or eliminate pain, improve function, and enhance the patient’s overall quality of life.