Current Trends in Pain Management

Anyone with chronic pain knows all too well that it can be difficult to find long-term relief from symptoms. Patients who have chronic pain are at high risk of developing a dependence on prescription pain medication, which they rely on for relief.

While pain medication helps relieve pain, it does not get to the heart of the problem. It only creates a never-ending cycle of taking medication, experiencing momentary relief, and then taking medication again when pain symptoms return – which they inevitably always do.

If you suffer from chronic pain, ask your doctor about current advancements in pain management. Pain medications only offer relief for a few hours at a time and must be taken repeatedly – this is not sustainable or healthy. There are many pain management techniques and treatments that offer relief from symptoms for longer than a few hours. Long term relief may be available for your chronic pain – talk to a pain management specialist today.

Corticosteroid Injections

These injections are usually combined with anesthetics to relieve pain for a few months at a time. They are usually named for the area where they are administered or the source of the pain. Steroid injections are commonly used to treat sports injuries that cause acute or chronic joint pain. They can also effectively relieve pain symptoms associated with conditions like arthritis.

Some examples of steroid injections are facet joint injections for the facet joints at the top of the vertebra in the spine and sacroiliac joint injections for the sacroiliac joint.

Nerve Blocks

A nerve block is an injection used to block nerves from sending incorrect pain signals to the brain. This can help alleviate pain symptoms you may be experiencing.

One type of nerve block is an epidural injection, in which doctors deliver numbing medication to the epidural area in the back, just outside the spinal cord. Nerve blocks are very effective at relieving acute and chronic pain. Results can last for several weeks or months at a time.

Spinal Cord Stimulation

With spinal cord stimulation, pain signals from your spinal cord are prevented from reaching your brain. A doctor implants a small battery-powered device under your skin. Whenever you feel pain, you are able to deliver electrical pulses to your spinal cord, which scatters pain signals. By doing so, your brain does not get the pain signals, so you don’t feel any symptoms. This is often recommended for patients who have tried many other pain management methods and failed to find relief.

Pain Management in St. Peters and O’Fallon, MO

If you are interested in learning how advances in pain management can help bring you relief from your chronic pain, contact the experts at Advanced Bone & Joint today. We have a variety of state-of-the-art pain management techniques that can help bring you relief.

To make an appointment, call us at (636) 229-4222. You can also send an appointment request.