Pain Management
Are you suffering from Chronic Pain?
If you are suffering from occasional back stiffness after a light game of tennis, chronic pain as a result of a medical condition, or a serious injury, we can relieve your suffering and help you live your life to the fullest. Imagine enjoying life the way you used to – happy and healthy – working, playing with your children or grandchildren, and exercising.
The focus at Mountainside Medical Center is to ensure that our patients receive the best comprehensive care possible. We will build a treatment plan tailored to your unique condition combining a range of complementary services to alleviate your pain and will communicate your options in easy to understand language.
Procedures
Minimally invasive advanced pain management procedures include:
Acupuncture – This alternative medicine works by placing small needles into points along pathways known as channels or meridians, reducing pain by restoring the natural flow of blood and "qi"(energy).
Botox injections – A small amount of medical Botox is injected into specific muscles, causing them to relax for several months. (This medicine is different from Botox Cosmetic which is used to treat wrinkles.)
Celiac plexus blocks – A local anesthetic is injected into the nerves that surround the aorta, the main artery of the abdomen, to reduce pain as part of a treatment for chronic abdominal pain.
Discography – X-ray dye is injected into the discs of the spine to evaluate disc morphology.
Dorsal Root Ganglion (DRG) - Low dose electrical signals are sent to a very specific component of the spinal cord to stop pain signals from reaching the brain. This device is indicated for cases of severe nerve damage and Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.
Epidural steroid injections – Steroids are delivered directly into the epidural space in the spine to reduce pain and inflammation.
Facet joint injections – Numbing medicine and steroids are put into the small joints of the spine. Often to locate and relieve pain.
Intracept - A minimally invasive procedure for chronic low back pain that involves the application of heat to very specific nerves within the bones of the spine.
Intrathecal pump implants – A device delivers concentrated amounts of medication into the spinal cord through a catheter. This treatment is done in two phases. Once a trial is performed and is successful, a permanent pump is placed under the skin.
Intradiscal therapies – For damaged discs that cause pain by pressing on a nerve, a special needle is placed into the disc through which intradiscal therapies can be performed.
Joint injections – Injections are performed to relieve pain in a variety of joints including the knees, ankles, elbows and wrists.
Kyphoplasty – Bone height is restored by repairing stress fractures of the vertebra. Our procedure fills the bone with cement from the inside.
Lumbar plexus blocks – After hip replacement surgery, post-operative pain is blocked from the set of nerves that go to the front part of the hip and thigh.
Intracept - The only procedure designed to relieve vertebrogenic back pain. The minimally invasive, implant free, same-day procedure provides long-term pain relief after a single procedure.
Minimally Invasive Lumbar Decompression - A minimally invasive procedure for patients with spinal stenosis (due to excess ligament hypertrophy) who have failed epidural steroid injections and more conservative measures but are not candidates or prefer to avoid traditional spine surgery.
Percutaneous disc decompressions – For minor herniated discs, a needle which emits radio waves is placed into a disc to decompress it from the inside and provide relief.
Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS) - Low dose electrical signals are applied to peripheral nerves to decrease chronic pain in a specific distribution. This device can be used externally or permanently implanted.
Radio Frequency Ablation – A treatment option for facet-related back pain that destroys the nerves that supply the facet joint and transmit pain signals.
Sacro-iliac joint injections – A long-lasting steroid, such as cortisone, is injected into the joints in the lower back to reduce inflammation and swelling.
Spinal cord stimulator implants – An electronic device is inserted beside the spinal cord to treat chronic pain in the trunk and limbs. The device sends low voltage electrical impulses that prevent pain signals from reaching the brain.
Stellate ganglion blocks – The sympathetic nerves in the neck that go to the arms and face are blocked to reduce pain and swelling and improve mobility in the upper extremity.
Trigger point injections – With only a brief course of treatment, an anesthetic is injected into a knot of a muscle that will not relax, providing lasting relief. Treatment can be done to arms, legs, lower back and neck.
Vertiflex - The application of a small device to lift pressure off the nerves of the lumbar spine to alleviate leg and back pain symptoms that often accompany spinal stenosis.