Interventional Pain Management Procedures
Chronic pain affects about 100 million Americans. To find a pain treatment that works, you must try many different things. Interventional pain management procedures may help people with long-term pain deal with it. Like other ways to deal with pain, like taking prescription drugs, IPM can help you deal with your pain better without letting it distract you from everyday tasks.
So, what is interventional pain management? Let's get in-depth and understand in brief.
Interventional Pain Management
IPM is a type of pain management that focuses on many different ways to stop the pain, most given as injections. IPM techniques and pain procedures are sometimes used as part of a multi-disciplinary plan to treat pain and other symptoms. These techniques can be used with therapy for the mind, emotions, and prescription drugs.
An IPM specialist doesn't just prescribe medicine or suggest physical therapy; instead, they use all types of treatment to get rid of pain in the quickest, most effective, and direct way possible for each patient.
Types of Interventional Pain Management Treatments
After knowing what is interventional pain management, it's essential to know the types of IPM treatments.
IPM is a broad term for many different kinds of treatments. The type of treatment you get will depend on your specific condition, and symptoms since every kind of treatment are different in how invasive it is. Some of the most common techniques for interventional pain management are:
Blocking nerves
Pain signals are sent to the brain by nerves. To stop the pain, nerve blocks are used to stop these signals. Your treatment plan will determine the type of nerve block you get. Some nerve blocks are minimally invasive and last for hours or days. Some nerve blocks are done through surgery and can last for long or be permanent.
Infusions
During an infusion, painkillers are given directly into the body. Most of the time, these are for longer-term use. Intrathecal infusions are given into the subarachnoid space in the brain, while epidural infusions are given into the spinal cord.
Injections
Epidural Steroid Injections, Facet Joint Injections, and Trigger Joint Injections are all common types of injections. Each of these injections goes to a different place in the body where the pain is felt. Most injections have a numbing agent and a steroid in them.
Ablation with radio waves
This treatment is mainly used to treat pain in the lower back and neck, especially pain caused by arthritis. A radio wave is used to make an electrical current and then heat nerve tissue. With this method, the pain signals from that area will be less intense.
Peripheral Nerve Field Stimulation (PNFS)
This type of treatment is similar to Spinal Cord Stimulation, but it works on other parts of the body. The electrical leads are placed as close as possible to where the pain is coming from, similar to how Spinal Cord Stimulation works.
What to expect from your IPM specialist?
When you see an IPM specialist for the first time, you will get a thorough physical exam. The doctor will also ask you about your health in the past. Try to bring any x-rays or test results from the past related to your pain condition.
It's also essential that you tell the doctor about any other treatments or pain procedures you've tried and any medications you're taking now. List any alternative therapies you've tried, such as acupuncture, massage, or herbal medicine.
Your current condition will be talked about, including where the pain is, how bad it is when it happens, and if you have any other symptoms that might get linked to the pain.
Before starting any treatments, your doctor specializing in interventional pain management will do diagnostic tests to rule out other conditions that could cause similar symptoms. These tests could be x-rays, CT scans, MRIs, or blood tests. At this time, psychological tests may also be done.
The doctor may do more studies (but doesn't have to if the studies are up-to-date and correct) and look at studies already done.
After a thorough physical and diagnostic evaluation, your medical information can be carefully examined. As a result, your IPM specialist can make an entire pain program just for you.
Once the treatment plan is set, your doctor specializing in IPM will help you organize the therapies you need. Most of the time, treatment and services for interventional pain management are offered in the same place, so you don't have to go from place to place to get care. Make sure to follow what your doctor tells you carefully. For your treatment to work, you need to do everything to help.
To Conclude:
If you have chronic pain and haven't been able to find a treatment that helps, you might want to see a doctor who specializes in Interventional Pain Management Procedures. The comprehensive approach developed and designed per your needs may be the answer you're looking for.
