How a Pain Management Doctor can Help with Back Pain

Pain is limiting because it can prevent us from doing the things we love. It can also make it difficult to concentrate or think clearly. If you are in pain, wherever it is in your body, whether it’s your neck or back, can you ever think of anything else? The answer is probably no. Fortunately, a pain management doctor can probably help you.

Pain management doctors are specialists who focus on helping patients manage pain. They work with a variety of patients, from those with chronic pain to those recovering from surgery. Pain management doctors use a variety of techniques to help their patients, which include interventional pain procedures, and different methods used to target pain at its source. Injection therapy is usually recommended after other non-surgical treatments have not worked and before surgery.

Let’s talk about some of the treatments you can get at a pain management doctor’s clinic.

Pain Management Treatments

Here are some pain treatments that a pain management doctor offers:

Steroid Injections

The most common type of steroid used to treat back pain is corticosteroids, which are anti-inflammatory drugs, and it is usually combined with anesthesia. Anesthesia works immediately by providing relief. Then, steroids kick in between three to five days after, and work by reducing inflammation and swelling in the affected area. Steroid injections can be administered in the lumbar, cervical, or thoracic region of the back and may be guided by ultrasound for accuracy.

Trigger Point Injections

A trigger point is a specific area of muscle tissue that is especially sensitive to pain. When a trigger point is injected with a local anesthetic, it can help to break the cycle of pain and muscle spasms.

Facet Joint Injections

The facet joints are the small joints between each vertebra in your spine. These joints allow your spine to move and twist. Facet joint injections can help relieve pain by numbing the facet joints with an anesthetic medication. It is usually recommended for patients with back pain due to arthritis.

Medial Branch Nerve Block

Medial branch nerve blocks are a type of pain relief that involves numbing the nerves that send pain signals to your brain. Some nerves are connected to the facet joints, called medial nerves, which send pain signals to the brain.

Sacroiliac Joint Injections

The sacroiliac joints are between the sacrum and the ilium bones of the pelvis and may be the cause of lower back pain. Sacroiliac joint injections involve injecting a steroid into the sacroiliac joint to reduce inflammation and pain.

Pain Management Doctor in St. Peters, O’Fallon, and Wentzville, Missouri

At Advanced Bone & Joint, our pain management doctor, Dr. Zachary P. Fallon, offers the latest non-surgical, interventional treatments for chronic back pain to provide lasting relief from symptoms. These treatments are only available at a pain doctor’s clinic, and we are proud to offer them to our patients. Dr. Fallon sees chronic pain patients in our St. Peters and O’Fallon locations. Being an orthopedic practice, we can provide you with far more comprehensive treatment than a regular pain clinic.

It’s about time you get back to focusing on your life and the things you love. To find out what options are available for you, schedule a consultation with Dr. Fallon. Call our office today at (636) 229-4222 or use our convenient online request form.