Tag Archives: radiofrequency ablation

Why is Surgery Usually a Bad Idea for Spinal Arthritis?

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Currently, there are more spine surgeries being performed in America than ever before. In fact, in the years 2002 to 2007 the amount of complicated spine surgeries (involving fusions) increased 15 fold. I can guarantee you in those 5 years the population of American did not increase that much. Here’s a look at spine surgery for arthritis.AZ pain centers

As an individual shifts in to their 40s and 50s, degenerative arthritis begins to potentially become a problem. Unfortunately, in the spine there are over 20 sets of facet joints, which are the thumbnail size joints containing cartilage allowing spinal movement.

With each joint containing cartilage, the potential for degenerative arthritis at each one is significant. Essentially, most individuals end up with arthritis at more than one level of their neck or back.

This brings us to the main point here. Performing a spinal fusion of one or two levels may work well for a short time period. When you fuse a level, it can no longer absorb any stress that the body sees. Those stresses either go up or down and may contribute to accelerated arthritis at the adjacent levels. At that point, the patient may be facing an Avoiding Spinal Fusionadd-on fusion surgery, which will continue to escalate as a problem moving up and down the spine.

So it’s a very different scenario than simply performing a hip or a knee replacement, since there’s only one of those on each side of the body. When an individual has spinal instability or degenerative scoliosis due to arthritis, surgery may in fact be extremely helpful.

What is being referred to here is simple degenerative arthritis that is painful. There is no acceptable facet joint replacement like there is for the hip or the knee. Because of this, it is better to exhaust all options with conservative management. This may include physical therapy and chiropractic treatment, spinal decompression therapy, acupuncture treatment, and tens units. There are plenty of research studies showing the benefits of thesePain doctors in Scottsdale treatments for osteoarthritis conditions.

Medication management includes over-the-counter anti-inflammatories and Tylenol. For periods of exacerbation, short-term narcotic medications may be helpful. Over the long-term though, the risks of opiates began to outweigh the benefits.

Interventional pain treatments for degenerative arthritis of the spine have been the best options going. This may include medial branch blocks, facet injections or radiofrequency ablation. These treatments may provide 6 to 18 months of pain relief, and then may be repeated once the pain relief wears off.

There are new treatments coming out for the spine including regenerative medicine injections. These may include platelet rich plasma treatment or stem cell injections. While not widely available, there is ongoing research on their potential.

radiofrequency ablationSpinal fusions for strictly degenerative arthritis have never been shown in published studies to be better than conservative treatments. And there are significant risks associated with operative treatments that do not exist with conservative management.

Therefore all attempts at conservative treatment should be undertaken prior to ever considering an elective spinal surgery. The exceptions to this would be, as mentioned, instability or significant scoliosis, and also spinal stenosis.

If you or a loved one is suffering from chronic back or neck pain due to arthritis, Arizona Pain Specialists offers comprehensive nonoperative pain management treatments. These include Board Certified Arizona pain management doctors and chiropractors offering Pain doctors in Glendale AZmedication management, interventional procedures, spinal decompression therapy, acupuncture, spinal manipulations, tens units and more.

With over 50 insurance plans and 4 locations, there is no better AZ pain clinics to obtain first rate treatment. Call today at (602) 507-6550 for scheduling!

Four Effective Pain Management Procedures for Low Back Pain

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There is at least an eight out of 10 chance that you will experience low back pain at some point during your life. Currently, approximately 20% of individuals are experiencing back Back Pain Treatment Phoenixpain right now. So it is an extremely common condition, and most of the time it goes away without any treatment. However, for those who end up with chronic back pain, here are four minimally invasive pain management treatments to achieve pain relief while avoiding risky surgery.

1. Facet Injection

The first is a steroid injection into the painful facet joints. The facet joints are the thumbnail size joints at each level of the spine on both sides. They may suffer from arthritis and pain with age.

When a facet injection is performed, a Phoenix pain management doctor will use fluoroscopy, a real-time form of x-ray, to place the needle inside the facet joint. Once accurate placement is achieved, steroid medication along with numbing medicine is injected, similar to how an injection is performed in the hip or the knee joint. This injection is performed as an outpatient and each level takes just a few minutes. A recent review from Pain Physician showed that there is a fair amount of research that backs up the effectiveness of facet injections directly into the joint.

2. Medial Branch Block

Each joint in the spine receives sensation, and that is how it is able to feel pain. The nerve supply comes from medial branch nerve endings, and that is what the injection is designed Medial Branch Blockto block. The first purpose of a medial branch block is to help the pain doctor understand where exactly the pain generator is in the spine.

Thankfully, a medial branch injection works very well for this diagnostic purpose. In addition, the review in Pain Physician showed that the medial branch block also works well as a therapeutic injection for pain relief. The average duration of pain relief with a medial branch block injection is four months. When these injections are performed, the needle does not actually enter the facet joint, but is placed into areas just behind the joint where the medial branches enter.

When the medial branch block wears off and the pain returns, it can easily be repeated with the expectation that similar pain relief will be achieved subsequently.

3. Radiofrequency Ablation

This procedure has been a godsend in pain management, as the amount of pain relief achieved is substantial and the duration may be upwards of two years. If a regular medial branch injection procedure works well and then wears off, radiofrequency ablation Radiofrequency Ablationprocedures often alleviate the pain for 6 to 18 months. This can lessen the need for narcotic medications, get a patient back to work, and overall has been a revolutionary technology.

Multiple studies have looked at outcomes with RFA procedures. If the pain relief wears off, a repeat RF procedure has almost the same effect as the initial with excellent pain relief for an extended duration

4. Sacroiliac Joint Injection

When you look at where back pain comes from, almost 20% of the time it is coming from one of the sacroiliac joints. It’s almost like the proverbial forgotten stepchild, where it may be seen as an afterthought as a pain generator in the low back. However, it is so common to have referred pain into the low back from a sacroiliac joint problem that it should always be evaluated.

For those individuals who have suspected pain in the sacroiliac joint, then an injection into

SI Joint Radiofrequency

SI Joint Radiofrequency

the joint can be performed as an outpatient. Pain management doctors in Arizona should use fluoroscopy for this procedure, as these joints are irregular in shape and may be difficult to enter properly.

For a successful sacroiliac injection, it may be necessary to use separate entry points to achieve adequate penetration. If the injection works and then wears off, it is becoming more common to perform an SI joint radiofrequency ablation to obtain extended relief. A study presented last year at a major pain meeting showed over 50% pain relief from three to six months with these procedures

These four procedures and provide exceptional pain relief for those with chronic low back pain. Undergoing low back surgery for spinal arthritis is a risky proposition, so the pain relief can be achieved with one of these options it is ideal. In fact, most of the time it can be for an extended duration.

Pain Clinic Phoenix

If you or a loved one is experiencing chronic back pain in the greater Phoenix & Scottsdale areas, let Arizona Pain Specialists help you. The Phoenix pain clinics offer assistance at four Valley locations, including Phoenix, Scottsdale, Glendale and Chandler.

For one number scheduling, call (602) 507-6550 today!

The Three Levels of Pain Management Care in the 21st Century

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If you have pain that bothers you on a daily basis, you are not alone. Between all of the neck and back pain, arthritis pain, sciatica, failed Pain Clinics Phoenixsurgeries, etc, over 100 million individuals have a chronic issue that affects everyday life.

While a lot of individuals are able to simply ignore the issue, chronic pain may affect the ability to concentrate and work effectively. It may lead to depression, and cause otherwise smart, dependable individuals to end up with disability.

Managing pain in the 21st Century continues to improve as the field of pain management matures. Compared to other areas of medicine, it is relatively young. Every year, new technology is either invented or improved.

For most chronic pain conditions, initial treatment starts at home with what I’m calling Level 1. This includes over the counter medications like Tylenol and ibuprofen, ice/heat, rest, and elevation. At a certain point the basics are not quite “cutting it”, so more intense options need to be considered.

Level 2 of pain management care involves getting a medical provider involved. This treatment may consist of a Phoenix chiropractor, physical therapist and/or a pain management doctor in Arizona. I have skipped right over the primary care doctor, as more frequently these days patients find their providers without a referral.

Pain Management MedicationTreatment may consist of spinal manipulations, stretching and strengthening, electrical stimulation, ultrasound, a TENS unit, acupuncture, massage or spinal decompression therapy. These treatments may be helpful by themselves or in combination.

Along with these various treatments, Level 2 may also consist of narcotic prescription medication such as Vicodin or a long acting type such as OxyContin. While there are only certain conditions that should receive chronic pain medications, during acute exacerbations they can really come in handy to manage pain. Additional considerations for prescription medication include muscle relaxers and neurogenic medications such as Lyrica and Neurontin.

Level 3 is where interventional pain management comes into play. Phoenix pain management doctors often see an option for pain relief with procedures which may include facet or epidural injections, medial radiofrequency ablationbranch blocks, plexus blocks, joint injections, radiofrequency ablation, spinal cord stimulator implants and more.

As an individual with chronic pain moves through the levels, the potential for pain relief improves with the combination of treatments available. Over 95% of patients are able to be successfully treated nonoperatively with conservative treatment at a pain management clinic in Phoenix.

If you are suffering from a pain management problem, let Arizona Pain Specialists help you. There are multiple clinics throughout the Valley, offering comprehensive pain management including chiropractic, physical rehab, pain management medication, procedures and Pain Doctors Phoenixacupuncture.

These pain clinics in the Greater Phoenix area accept over 50 insurance plans, along with self pay, worker’s compensation, and personal injury claims. Call (602) 507-6550 for scheduling today!