Living with chronic pain can be both physically and emotionally exhausting. Over 20 million people in the U.S. are hurting every day, with the largest majority suffering from back pain. Back pain affects both women and men equally and can rob anyone of their mobility and the quality of life that they deserve.
Chronic pain has many sources, including cancer recovery, injury, arthritis and illness. It is also often accompanied by depression, anxiety, a loss of mobility and even a loss of income. Although there are many options for treating pain, a treatment plan needs to be specifically designed for each patient. No two people share the same experience when it comes to living with their chronic pain.
Traditional treatments for chronic pain through expert clinics like Seattle Pain Relief include topical ointments, opioid prescriptions and NSAID medications. In recent years, the battle against pain has progressed thanks to specific leaps in technology. We are going to explore a few of the innovative treatments now available for those dealing with chronic back pain.
Disc Denervation
Pain in the lower back or neck can be debilitating. During a disk denervation treatment, abnormal tissues surrounding your spinal disks are removed using heated electrical impulses. Once this tissue is removed it will limit the number of pain signals that can be transferred up the spinal cord to the brain. Over 90% of patients that have been treated with Disc Denervation report a significant improvement in pain levels beyond the first year.
Epidural Steroid Injection
Most pain in the back, neck and extremities can be tracked to an inflammation of the spinal nerves. Nerve inflammation can result in insistent pain signals being sent to the brain. In moderate cases of chronic pain, an injection of steroids into the epidural cavity can help reduce inflammation. As swelling starts to subside following treatment, patients are able to begin therapy programs with enough mobility to correct disc displacement issues.
Medial Branch Blocker
Chronic pain conditions can irritate the facet joints leading to pain and tenderness in the lower back. A medial branch blocker uses an injection of a powerful anesthetic that numbs the medial nerves connected to the facet joints. In most patients who have difficulty bending or twisting, this type of treatment can give relief and expand the range of natural movement.
Radiofrequency Ablation
An ablation procedure involves the burning of nerve endings in areas of the body where chronic pain is emanating from. This burning effectively eliminates the pain signals that are sent to the brain. This is a minimally invasive treatment that has been highly successful in treating patients with chronic arthritic pain. It can also treat conditions including neck pain, scoliosis, back pain, knee pain and peripheral nerve pain.
Living with chronic pain without relief is not the way to get the most out of life. With the right treatment, you can get long-lasting relief with minimally invasive procedures that can have you living your best life in no time at all. Talk to your doctor today about which of these innovative chronic pain treatments are right for you.
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