Interventional pain management is essential for caring for patients suffering from acute or chronic pain. It requires an understanding of how to regulate a patient’s pain level in the safest way possible. Interventional techniques are fundamental because they allow non-pharmacologic treatments to be employed, reducing potential medication side effects. A complete pain management plan will often involve more than one interventional technique, but some of the most common include epidural injections, peripheral nerve blocks, and intraspinal injections. This article looks at some of the common conditions you can treat through the best interventional pain management in Ionia.
- Cancer Pain
There are more than 100 types of cancer that can lead to pain. Cancer-related pain is often the result of tumor growth or formation but can also be caused by surgery, medication side effects, or injury due to radiation therapy. Symptoms include:
- Chronic aches and pains.
- Increased sensitivity in somebody regions.
- Breakthrough pain (brief periods of pain unrelated to a specific injury).
- Headaches.
Treatment for cancer-related pain often depends on the type of cancer involved. A doctor may prescribe nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), but they can cause gastrointestinal bleeding or ulcers in patients with certain forms of cancer. Opioids, frequently used to treat cancer-related pain, can lead to severe side effects such as respiratory depression and constipation.
- Cervical Pain
Cervical pain, also known as neck or head pain, can be caused by several conditions. It frequently occurs in patients with arthritis of the spine, injuries to the neck area, vertebral compression fractures, fibromyalgia, and cervical stenosis (narrowing of the cervical canal that causes pressure on the spinal cord). Pain can be felt in the back of the neck or head or extended into shoulder blades and arms. Tightness in the chest may also occur. Symptoms are usually worse when you turn your head, look up or down, or raise your shoulders to shrug.
Cervical pain is usually managed through various interventional techniques. A cervical epidural injection, a local anesthetic delivered directly to the spine, can relieve short-term pain. Cervical nerve root injections are often administered by injecting medication directly into the affected nerves for more long-term benefits.
- Joint Pain
You can successfully treat many forms of joint pain through interventional techniques. The best-known injections are those for hip and knee arthritis, which target the areas around the joints as close to the source of pain as possible. Rotator cuff impingement is a common shoulder injury that can be treated with an injection into the rotator cuff or a local anesthetic and corticosteroid, depending on the type of pain involved. You can effectively treat ankle ligament injuries with an injection into the affected area.
In summary, interventional pain management is often the best way to relieve severe pain in patients without worrying about the side effects of pain management medications. While you can use it for various conditions, some of the most common include cervical pain, cancer-related pain, and joint injuries. You should visit an interventional pain management specialist if you have these conditions.