A simple question with simple and complex answers.
By Victor Tseng, DO
According to the International Association for the Study of Pain, it is “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage.” Often people think that Pain Management doctors just write prescriptions for pain medications, mostly opiates. These medications undoubtedly relieve pain, but they are not without risks of addiction and potentially harmful side effects. The better way to treat pain is by targeting the actual physiologic issue rather than masking it. Again, this is a simple answer to what can be a complex issue, especially with people who have chronic pain issues. Even when the structure is intact, there are many more reasons why someone can experience pain. Sometimes it takes thinking outside the box to fix it.
Interventional pain management doctors are more accurately defined as non-surgical orthopaedists, who treat patients with a holistic approach, utilizing injections, therapies, and medications, rather than with a scalpel. This includes patients who are both non-surgical candidates and those who have had surgery several months to years ago, but still suffer with pain.
There are a wide array of injections and procedures to treat a gamut of pain issues, from herniated disks to Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). Some procedures may be as simple as a single epidural injection, while some may be more complicated, such as a Spinal Cord Stimulator. Not all injections are the same; some are designed to reduce inflammation around a pinched nerve, while others are designed to decrease the sympathetic output. All such procedures are performed with fluoroscopy or ultrasound guidance, which allows visualization of the injection, making it more precise and safe for the patient. Opiates are extremely addictive and over time become less effective, hence making them more risky than beneficial.
If patients for whatever reason do not want an injection, they can still be treated with medications, therapy, and medical equipment. The most effective treatment plans include a team approach, with specialized orthopaedists, physiatrists and physical and occupational therapists all working together to find out where the patient’s main pain generator is coming from, and determining the safest and most effective treatment for it.
Dr. Victor Tseng is an interventional pain management doctor with Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center. He is fellowship trained and Board certified in Physical Medicine and rehabilitation with specialization in Interventional Pain Medice. For more information, visit smoc-pt.com.
