Chronic pain is a common condition affecting millions of people across the world. The worst part about chronic pain is that it rarely responds to some forms of technology, so you will have to put up with it for the rest of your life. However, interventional pain management has proven to reduce pain and improve the quality of life among patients with chronic pain conditions. Interventional pain management involves using advanced treatment options combined with holistic therapies to offer the best results possible. For instance, Interventional Pain and Regenerative Medicine Specialists can recommend chiropractic care to help you deal with spine issues or an acupuncturist for alternative measures. In this article, look at some of the common treatments offered by interventional pain specialists to help you deal with various chronic pain conditions.

• Epidural Steroid Injections

Epidural steroid injections and therapy involve the injection of steroids into the epidural space in the spinal column depending on the location of your pain and the results of diagnostic tests. The corticosteroids injected into the epidural space reduce inflammation associated with abnormal anatomy that affects the spinal nerve roots and spinal cord. Epidural steroid injections can effectively provide long-term relief from some pain conditions, especially when administered in the early stages of your condition. They can also help control pain when recovering from injuries or pain that worsens over time without responding well to other forms of treatment. Epidural steroid injections effectively relieve pain, enhance daily functioning, and delay the need for surgical intervention.

• Radiofrequency Ablation

Radiofrequency ablation is a therapy that uses heat produced by radio waves to burn specific nerves to block pain signals from affected areas. It can help reduce pain and enhance function without depending on non-prescription and prescription pain medications. It can reduce or eliminate signals from affected nerves that would reach the brain and trigger a painful response. You can benefit from this treatment if you have responded to a previous diagnostic nerve block. Radiofrequency ablation is mainly used to treat painful conditions in the neck, lower back, shoulders, and hips. Many people living in pain have developed a preference for radiofrequency ablation since it allows for quick recovery and has a low risk of complications.

• Spinal Cord Stimulation

A spinal cord stimulator is a device implanted beneath your skin to help manage chronic pain. The stimulator transmits low electric currents to the spinal cord to alter the transmission of pain signals to the brain. An interventional pain management physician can recommend a spinal cord stimulator trial if you have not benefited from other forms of pain relief. Spinal cord stimulation allows you to live with less pain and improves your quality of life. Spinal cord stimulation has proven to be extremely effective in treating post-surgical pain syndrome, failed spine surgery syndrome, chronic back, and neck pain, and peripheral neuropathic pain.

In summary, chronic pain is a common condition that you can effectively treat with interventional pain management techniques. Some of the most common interventional pain management therapies include spinal cord stimulation, radiofrequency ablation, and epidural steroid injections.