Treatment Options
Comprehensive Evaluation and Establishment of Treatment Plan
FLUOROSCOPY or ultrasound FOR ALL PROCEDURES
Botox (Non-Cosmetic)
Discogram for Surgical Evaluation
Viscosupplementation
Facet Joints connect the vertebrae (the bones of the spine) and help guide the spine during movement. You may feel pain if a facet joint is injured (chronically, as from arthritis or acutely as from an injury). Medial branch nerves transmit pain signals from the facet joints to your brain. Following a successful diagnostic Facet Medial Nerve Injection, RFA, using radiofrequency energy, will disrupt nerve function, temporarily interrupting pain signals from an injured facet joint. Medial nerves will regenerate after an RFA potentially causing some pain to return. While it varies from patient to patient, nerves can take up to 18 months to regenerate. If your pain returns, another RFA can be done.
The Sacroiliac (SI) Joints, located on each side of the lower spine in the pelvis, transfer force and weight from the upper body to the legs, providing stability. Pain caused by SI Joints may be on one or both sides of your lower back and may radiate to thighs, upper back or groin area. SI Joint pain may stem from arthritis, injury, or degeneration related to aging. The Simplicity RFA utilizes radiofrequency energy to ablate the nerves affecting the SI Joint, interrupting the pain signals. The nerves will regenerate after an RFA potentially causing some pain to return. While it varies from patient to patient, nerves can take up to 18 months to regenerate. If your pain returns, another RFA can be done.
Nerve Blocks
The epidural space encloses the dura, a protective covering for the entire spinal cord and its nerves. During this procedure, a corticosteroid (anti-inflammatory medicine) is injected into the epidural space to reduce inflammation and pain. Maximum relief may require a series of three injections.
Facet Joints connect the vertebrae (the bones of the spine) and help guide the spine during movement. You may feel pain if a facet joint is injured (chronically, as from arthritis or acutely as from an injury). The Facet Medial Nerve Injection is a minimally invasive, nonsurgical procedure performed in our office that can be used to treat pain or as a diagnostic tool for Treatment Plan progression.
The point at which two or more bones meet is called a joint or articulation. Joints are responsible for movement and stability. You may feel pain in a major joint, such as a hip, knee or sacroiliac joint if there has been an injury, or chronic deterioration/inflammation of the area due to arthritis or bursitis. During this procedure, a corticosteroid is injected directly into the joint to reduce inflammation and pain. Maximum relief may require repeating the injection within 2-3 weeks.
Lumbar facet joints connect the vertebrae (the bones of the spine) in the lower back and help guide the spine during movement. You may feel pain if a lumbar facet joint is injured (chronically, as from arthritis or acutely as from an injury). Medial branch nerves transmit pain signals from the facet joints to your brain. Following a successful diagnostic Facet Medial Nerve Injection, a Laser Rhizotomy can be performed for long-lasting back pain relief. A laser is passed through a small pinpoint incision down to the affected joint and the pulse of the laser disrupts nerve function. When this is done to a lumbar medial branch nerve, the nerve can no longer transmit pain from an injured facet joint. Medial nerves will regenerate after an LR, potentially causing some back pain to return. While it varies from patient to patient, nerves can take up to 18 months to regenerate. If your back pain returns, another LR can be done.
Neuromodulation
Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) is a type of neuromodulaion therapy proven to be effective for sufferers of chronic pain in the back, neck, arms and legs. A small generator as well as a thin wire, is placed in the body to deliver low level electrical pulses to the spinal cord, or to nerves along the spinal cord itself; depending on the source of the chronic pain impulses. Spinal Cord Stimulation helps mask pain by blocking or changing pain signals before they reach the brain. If you are a good candidate for SCS, a temporary system will be placed with an external generator for approximately 7 days. During this trial period, you can assess how well SCS controls your pain and improves quality of life. If this evaluation phase is successful, a permanent system can be implanted.
Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation (DRG) is a type of neuromodulaion therapy for sufferers of chronic pain that is limited to specific areas of the lower body, such as foot, knee, hip and groin. This treatment-resistant pain, sometimes classified as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), often occurs after an injury or surgery. During DRG placement, a small generator as well as thin wire leads, are placed in the body to deliver low level electrical pulses to the electrode(s) placed on the target dorsal root ganglion(s). Directly stimulating the dorsal root ganglion (a cluster of nerve cells just outside the spinal cord that corresponds to specific anatomical locations in the body) results in more effective, targeted pain relief as the dorsal root ganglion regulates signals and sensations before they reach the spinal cord and travel to the brain. If you are a good candidate for DRG, a temporary system will be placed with an external generator for approximately 7 days. During this trial period, you can assess how well DRG controls your pain and improves quality of life. If this evaluation phase is successful, a permanent system can be implanted.
Peripheral Nerve Stimulator Placement
Intrathecal Drug Delivery (Pumps)
Implants
MILD is an Outpatient Procedure available to certain patients suffering from Lumbar Spinal Stenosis (LSS) which is a narrowing of the spinal canal that can result in back pain, sciatica, numbness or tingling when walking. LSS is often caused by bone spurs, arthritis, or thickening of spinal ligaments. MRI is required for definitive diagnosis. MILD has been clinically shown to provide significant improvement in pain levels, mobility, and endurance.
Facet Joints connect the vertebrae (the bones of the spine) and help guide the spine during movement. You may feel pain if a facet joint is injured (chronically, as from arthritis or acutely as from an injury). The Facet Medial Nerve Injection is a minimally invasive, nonsurgical procedure performed in our office that can be used to treat pain or as a diagnostic tool for Treatment Plan progression.
Stem Cell Injections
Regenerative Medicine Therapy is an emerging, non-invasive therapy with the goal of reversing degeneration, or regenerating, body tissue such as joint cartilage. Please schedule a visit with one of our Physicians to discuss your Regenerative Therapy options.
SW Florida Pain Center offers HF10 Spinal Cord Stimulation.
HF10™ is an advanced spinal cord stimulation (SCS) treatment for chronic back and leg pain. It’s FDA approved and a clinical study demonstrated it gives more people superior* relief of both back and leg pain relative to traditional SCS.
HF10™ works by calming the nerves that carry pain signals to your brain. The procedure is quick, minimally invasive and may not require a hospital stay. HF10™ is the first and only SCS therapy that does not include paresthesia, the tingling and buzzing feeling typical of other SCS treatments. Please watch the videos below to learn more.