Pain Management at Total Rehabilitation & Sports Medicine includes a large selection of treatments to best suit the individual needs of our patients. Acupuncture, trigger point injections, joint injections, nerve blocks, and spinal injections such as epidurals and facet joint injections are among the procedures which are readily available to patients when appropriate.
A detailed history, a comprehensive examination, and a review of imaging studies is performed for each patient during their initial visit. Then, an appropriate treatment plan is created.
- Acupuncture consists of applying single use sterile needles along specific meridians, or energy channels, in the body. These meridians correlate with the part of the body causing pain or dysfunction. Acupuncture can be used to treat a range of sports injuries or repetitive stress injuries to expedite healing. Acupuncture can also be used to treat various pain conditions including acute or chronic pain. Acupuncture is also useful in treating other pain conditions such as headaches.
- Trigger point injections are used to alleviate myofascial pain. Many muscles groups in the body are susceptible to muscle tightness and spasms. The muscle spasms can feel like knots. These knots form as a result of muscular imbalances or chronic repetitive overuse. Trigger points can refer pain to surrounding areas due to irritation of adjacent structures and nerves. The procedure involves inserting a small needle into the trigger point and injecting a local anesthetic with or without corticosteroid. This serves to inactivate the trigger point and reduces pain.
- Joint injections are useful for osteoarthritis of the shoulder, elbow, wrist, hands, hip, sacroiliac joint, knee, ankle and feet. The injections help to reduce swelling and pain, and are performed under ultrasound or fluoroscopic (live X-ray) guidance.
- Nerve pain can feel like burning, stabbing, or pins and needles in specific parts of the body. Nerve pain, also known as neuritis or neuralgia, can stem from an impingement or irritation. Nerve block procedures are a diagnostic, and potentially therapeutic maneuver, in that they can help the physician and patient understand where the pain is coming from, and can potentially treat it. Nerve blocks are performed under ultrasound or fluoroscopic guidance.
- Spinal injections such as epidural injections or facet joint injections, are performed when a patient is diagnosed with a herniated disc in the neck or low back, radiculopathy (sciatica), spinal stenosis, or a whiplash type injury causing facet joint arthropathy.
Make an appointment with Dr. Kantha of Total Rehabilitation & Sports Medicine to start your journey to a pain free life.