Pain Management

PAIN MANAGEMENT

Low back pain is a common issue, affecting 80% of the U.S. population at some point with enough severity to cause missed work. It’s the second leading reason for primary care visits and costs the American economy approximately $75 billion annually.

 Types of Low Back Pain

• Localized Pain: Soreness or discomfort felt when a specific area of the lower back is pressed.

• Diffuse Pain: Discomfort spread over a larger area, originating from deeper tissue layers.

• Radicular Pain: Pain caused by nerve root irritation, such as sciatica.

• Referred Pain: Pain perceived in the lower back but caused by issues elsewhere, like the kidneys or lower abdomen.

SPINAL INJECTIONS

Epidurals
Epidural injections deliver local anesthetic into the space around the dura mater (the outer membrane surrounding the spinal cord) to block sensation in the body areas served by nerves below the injection site. This technique can provide significant relief for back pain.

Dorsal Column Stimulators

These devices are implanted in the dorsal column of the spinal cord to intercept pain signals before they reach the brain, offering an effective solution for chronic pain management.

Degenerative Disc Disease Treatment

Degenerative disc disease is a condition where a damaged spinal disc causes pain, though it is not a disease in the traditional sense. Symptoms vary in severity, and diagnosis involves medical history, physical examination, and sometimes MRI scans to assess disc damage.