Treatments
We offer every pain treatment you might benefit from, all right here. This enables us to completely customize your care from your very first day. And should you need a different treatment, we can provide it—without sending you somewhere else.
Procedural Therapy
- Epidural injections
- Facet injections
- Intraarticular injections
- Sympathetic blocks, including stellate ganglion, celiac plexus, thoracic and lumbar sympathetic ganglion, superior hypogastric plexus and ganglion impar blocks
- Home epidural infusions
- Spinal cord stimulator trial and implantations
- Radiofrequency ablations
- Neurolytic procedures
- Trials of intrathecal medications
- MILD Procedure - Minimally Invasive Lumbar Decompression
Medications
Patients will have regular medical follow-ups at the Pain Center to adjust and titrate various pain medications (opioid analgesics, antidepressants, anticonvulsants and other adjuvants).
Once patients are stabilized on an adequate pain regime they are discharged back to their primary care provider to continue with ongoing care.
Psychological Services
Behavioral and cognitive therapies with our clinical psychologists include bio-feedback, hypnosis, and relaxation therapy. This is an integral part of pain management because chronic pain is a disabling disease and affects the person as a whole. These services are very important and very effective in improving the quality of life for patients.
The Full Impact of Chronic Pain
It is difficult for anyone without personal experience to understand the full impact of chronic pain. Persistent pain limits the ability to fulfill responsibilities at work, home, and in the community, disrupting routines and creating multiple stressors. Fewer opportunities to engage in pleasurable and meaningful activities and the resulting isolation are some reasons why depression and anxiety are so common with chronic pain. Over time, patients and their families may become worn down both physically and emotionally and feel that chronic pain is taking over their lives.
Role of the Pain Psychologist
The role of the psychologist is to help you learn various techniques for controlling your pain and the changes in your life it has caused, and also to help your treatment team understand the impact of chronic pain on your health, emotions, behavior, and overall quality of life and, in turn, how this might impact various aspects of your treatment. Behavioral medicine treatment may be recommended in addition to treatments provided by other members of your team.
Behavioral medicine treatment
Behavioral medicine treatment is based on the principle that the active participation of the patient in all aspects of treatment is the key to success. We believe that your pain is real, not “all in your head,” or exaggerated. You are the expert on your pain and our goal is to provide the services, support, and tools to put you back in charge of managing your pain and life.
Behavioral medicine treatment typically consists of a combination of education, training, coaching, and counseling: This might include:
Education on basic principles of chronic pain and its treatment, and on developing a program of healthy behaviors, including exercise and nutrition, that can help break the vicious cycle in which pain continues long after the original injury has healed.
Training in techniques to reduce or better control pain levels and negative emotions. These include biofeedback, deep muscle relaxation, stress management, visualization, self-hypnosis, distraction, and relaxed breathing. Selecting the right mix of techniques and modifying them to each patient’s needs and goals largely determines whether they are a successful part of a pain management strategy.
Coaching and education to help you increase the success of treatment by becoming a more active and effective participant and leader. This includes becoming your own expert in tracking symptoms and treatment response, setting goals and priorities, communicating effectively with providers, and becoming your best advocate in negotiating the complicated array of agencies, clinics and bureaucracies involved in your care.
Counseling can help relieve depression, anxiety, fear and anger. Identifying and changing the negative thoughts that often accompany chronic pain, such as helplessness and hopelessness (and worthlessness) can improve your ability to effectively participate in your treatment. When mood improves, patients often experience an increase in pain tolerance and even a reduction in the intensity of pain and its interference in meaningful and enjoyable activities.
Counseling also often helps families and couples deal with the stress and conflict that pain can put on relationships. In addition, involving family members in treatment can, improve understanding, communication, and cooperation, and better use the talents and strengths with which the family has used to meet other challenges in the past.