Procedures

Epidural injections are performed to introduce medications into the epidural space surrounding the spinal cord’s outermost membrane. This is done to relieve neck, back, and leg pain often caused by herniated or degenerated discs causing a “pinched” nerve. This procedure is very safe and is oftentimes done in our office with local or conscious sedation.

Joint injections allow us to place special medications directly into a joint to diagnose the cause of a painful joint and/or relieve pain. These procedures are typically done under ultrasound or X-ray guidance. Medications that can be injected include numbing medicine, steroids, viscous gel, and stem cells.

Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) is a procedure in pain medicine that uses a specialized device to reduce pain. Pain Therapy Associates uses this technique to help patients with back pain, neck pain, arthritis pain and other pain syndromes. RFA uses an electrical current produced by a radio wave to heat up a small area of nerve tissue with the objective of decreasing pain signals from that area.

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is achieved by implanting a small device (spinal cord stimulator) under your skin that sends mild electrical impulses to your spinal cord. This electric current interferes with and inhibits pain signals to your brain. Also called neurostimulation, this procedure is effective with chronic neck pain and back pain, especially if you have not found relief from back surgery or other treatments. Most patients report at least a 50% reduction in pain.

New advances in technology and lead to development of Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS) which uses a similar concept that targets nerves outside of the spinal cord.

Intercostal nerve blocks are injections of medication to relieve chest wall pain caused by non-cardiac conditions such as shingles, surgical incisions, or trauma. The intercostal nerves are located under each rib and cause pain if they get irritated or inflamed. We inject a steroid medication and local anesthetic below the rib to help reduce inflammation and reduce pain. Intercostal nerve blocks can also help us diagnose the source of chest pain.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a safe, non-invasive, and FDA-approved treatment for depression and other brain health issues. It uses magnetic pulses similar to an MRI to stimulate parts of the brain that regulate mood. The pulses encourage the brain to form new neural connections, alleviating your depression.

Pain Therapy Associates has been a leader in providing minimally invasive techniques for the alleviation of back pain related to lumbar spinal stenosis. Our non-surgical methods are supported by level-one evidence, and all have been cleared and approved by the FDA.

• The mild® procedure has been performed safely on thousands of patients. A doctor who is certified to perform mild® will use an imaging machine and specialized tools to remove small pieces of bone and excess ligament tissue through a tiny incision in your back. Removing these elements restores space in the spinal canal and decreases the compression of the nerves, which reduces pain and restores mobility.
• The Vertiflex™ Procedure (Superion™ Indirect Decompression System) uses a small spacer that is placed inside the spine without damaging any nearby bone or tissue. Once inserted, the implant’s arms open around the spinous processes (the bumps you can feel in your spine) and hold the space open. This preserves the necessary space in the spine, lifting pressure off the nerves in the lower back, which can result in the reduction or elimination of leg and back pain.

Ketamine is a Schedule III anesthetic agent. In the past decade, ketamine was identified as having beneficial effects on patients with depression, suicidal ideations, and certain neuropathic pain syndromes. A large number of studies have been conducted showing ketamine’s effectiveness in these areas and very promising results.