What causes back pain?
The back may look like a smooth surface, but underneath it's incredibly complex. In addition to the spine and the nerves it contains, the back contains muscles, ligaments and tendons, and any of these can contribute to pain. The good news is, most causes of back pain can be treated without surgery by using conservative and minimally-invasive approaches. One approach is injection therapy, which relieves painful symptoms as well as the underlying inflammation that can cause pain and other symptoms. Some common causes of back pain include:
- nerve compressions and impingements including sciatica and cervical radiculopathy
- disc-related problems
- arthritis
- facet joint syndrome
- spinal stenosis
- spondylolisthesis
- traumatic injuries
- muscle strains and trigger points (“knotted” muscles)
How is back pain diagnosed?
Back pain diagnosis starts with a review of the patient's symptoms and a physical examination with passive and active motions to determine which movements cause painful symptoms. Diagnostic imaging using X-rays or MRIs can also help. Some types of pain can be diagnosed using facet joint injections, which administer pain-blocking medications into the spine joints to pinpoint the source of painful symptoms.
How is back pain treated?
Most types of back pain can be relieved with physical therapy and injections that relieve inflammation and pain in the joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments. Most injections use pain medication and corticosteroids to reduce inflammation and promote healing. Some common treatments include:
- Facet Joint Injections into the spine joints
- Epidural Injections into the space surrounding the spine, including interlaminar and transforaminal epidural injections to bathe the nerve root
- Trigger Point Injections to relieve muscle knots that cause spasms and inflammation
- Nerve Blocks to “short-circuit” pain signals, including medial branch blocks and intercostal nerve blocks
- RFA (Radiofrequency Ablation) to block pain signals
- MUA (Manipulation Under Anesthesia), which uses a sequence of stretching movements to reduce impingements and relieve inflammation
- Spinal Cord Stimulation, an innovative approach that uses a tiny implanted device to stimulate the spinal cord directly so pain signals are interrupted.
- Sacroiliac (SI) Injections that administer medication directly into the sacroiliac joint
- Kyphoplasty to restore and stabilize the spine
- Non-Steroidal Injections (Traumeel) that utilize a homeopathic anti-inflammatory medication
What is interventional pain management, and how can it relieve chronic back pain, acute back pain, and discomfort?
Interventional pain management includes a wide variety of advanced diagnostic and treatment modalities for chronic back pain, acute back pain, and discomfort. As specialists in the field, the team at Valley Pain Centers provides effective back-pain relief options, including:
- Steroid injections
- Nonsteroid injections
- Nerve blocks
- Radiofrequency ablation (RFA)
- Kyphoplasty
- Manipulation under anesthesia (MUA)
- Platelet rich plasma (PRP) and stem cell therapies
Based on your diagnosis and the cause of your pain, the team determines the best treatment plan for your needs.
What are the differences between facet joint injections, epidural injections, trigger point injections, and sacroiliac joint injections and how do they help relieve back pain?
Depending on the location of your pain, injections may be used to reduce inflammation and relieve pain at the specific site of injury. Common injections include:
Facet joint injections
Injections into the facet joints relieve local pain and referred pain in the buttocks and thighs.
Epidural injections
Epidural steroid injections are used to diagnose and provide pain relief to specific areas of injury surrounding your lumbar vertebrae and discs and to provide localized treatment to the injured area.
Trigger point injections
For muscle pain that won’t respond to other treatments, local injections — using a combination of steroids and anesthetics — relieve trigger point pain.
Sacroiliac injections
Using a local anesthetic, sacroiliac injections offer an effective option for relief of sacroiliac joint pain that hasn’t been helped by traditional nerve blocks.
Injections offer an option to treat your pain at its source with appropriate methods that relieve pain at joints, nerves, or soft tissues.
To learn more about the interventional pain treatments such as interlaminar epidural injections, transforaminal epidural injections, and facet injections that are beneficial for relieving back pain, please click here https://www.valleypaincenters.com/contents/treatments/interventional-pain-treatments
What is MUA (manipulation under anesthesia) and how does it help relieve back pain?
Manipulation under anesthesia is a noninvasive back pain treatment for those who haven’t responded to other treatments or those who want to avoid surgery. MUA is beneficial for:
- Herniated discs
- Sciatica
- Chronic disc problems
- Failed back surgery
- Decreased spinal range of motion
- Acute and chronic muscle spasm
Performed under anesthesia to prevent discomfort, MUA utilizes specific short-lever manipulations, passive stretches, and specialized maneuvers to improve spinal range of motion, stretch scar tissue, and relieve pain.
To learn more about MUA and how it is beneficial for relieving back pain, please click here https://www.valleypaincenters.com/contents/treatments/mua
What role does an interventional pain specialist play in my treatment?
Interventional pain specialists offer diagnosis and treatment strategies aimed at locating and treating the source of your pain. When used in conjunction with other pain-relief strategies — like physical therapy, chiropractic care, rehabilitation, and counseling — interventional pain management can help you manage your back-pain symptoms and get relief.
Are interventional pain treatments for back pain successful?
Yes, interventional pain treatments provide effective relief from back pain. Due to the high-level specificity of interventional pain-management diagnoses, the exact site and cause of your pain is identified and treated appropriately.
Interventional pain management may be the solution to your back pain. Call or schedule a consultation at Valley Pain Centers now.
If you have any questions, please contact us via phone or email us at info@valleypaincenters.com
