Pain Management

What is interventional pain management?

Interventional pain management is an approach to chronic pain that aims to relieve symptoms using a selection of advanced therapies and techniques.

There are numerous possible causes of chronic pain, from nerve damage and dysfunction to poorly healed injuries, diseases like cancer, and the effects of the aging process on your musculoskeletal system.

At the Woodlands Center for Special Surgery, the team uses interventional pain management techniques to help those who are unable to find relief from their pain by any other means.

How can pain management treatments help me find relief?

For people who live with chronic pain, a comprehensive treatment program is essential to minimize discomfort and optimize the quality of life.

Treatments might include physical therapies, anti-inflammatory medications, activity modification, and the use of external support devices like braces, splints, and walking aids. If these approaches aren't effective in relieving pain, the next step is injectable treatments such as:

• Stem cell therapy
• Joint injections
• Epidural injections
• Nerve blocks
  
  

These treatments require expert delivery to ensure optimal effectiveness and avoid damaging other tissues. The Woodlands Center for Special Surgery has cutting-edge image guidance technology in place that enables your physician to deliver injectables accurately.

What kind of pain management is best for me?

Pain management is unique to each patient, based on specific needs and goals for recovery. Many patients begin with the standard pain management route, either at home using over-the-counter drugs or at their primary care doctor using prescription drugs.

However, this type of medication-based pain management isn't meant for long-term relief, and if you need a lasting solution, your doctor may refer you to a specialist like Dr. Gupta.

Pain management at the Woodlands Center for Special Surgery Institute emphasizes correcting your problem at its source, which then allows for long-term relief. Sometimes, this involves minimally invasive surgery, but in many other cases, nonsurgical options can give you the lasting pain relief you need.

What are the nonsurgical options for pain management?

The Woodlands Center for Special Surgery offers a variety of nonsurgical pain management treatments, including injection-based treatments and physical therapy.

Injection-based treatments can include methods such as corticosteroid injections to help relieve inflammation and pain, or platelet-rich plasma injections to help regenerate the damaged tissue that's causing your pain.

Physical therapy treatment can be unique for every patient, but it usually includes strengthening exercises.

No matter which nonsurgical option you use, protecting against future injury is important. For this reason, the Woodlands Center for Special Surgery team may assign you at-home exercises to help you strengthen the muscle support system around your injured or damaged area.

What are the surgical options for pain management?

When nonsurgical options aren't effective, or when they don't give you the long-term results you need, your physician may recommend a minimally invasive surgical procedure.

As you heal, you'll undergo physical therapy to help you grow stronger, regain your range of motion, and reduce the chance of recurrence.

Book your pain management appointment at the Woodlands Center for Special Surgery and start the road to relief from chronic pain.