Interventional Techniques

Epidural Steroid injections are used to put steroid medication at the site of pain to decrease inflammation and alleviate pain.

The sacroiliac joint is the joint between the sacrum and the ilium bones and supports the spine. The sacroiliac joint is strong supporting the weight of the upper body. There are two sacroiliac joints one right and one left.  When this joint becomes inflamed, causing sacroiliitis, a person may experience low back pain or pain in the buttocks or thigh. The sacroiliac joint may be injected under x-ray to alleviate pain and if an injection works, a patient may elect to have radiofrequency to the area.

Facet arthropathy is a common condition that affects many individuals with back pain. The facets are prevalent from the neck down to the sacrum, or lower spine. Each vertebral body connects to the one above and to the one below, via facet joints. These joints may become inflamed and even cause symptoms that mimick a herniated disc. Fortunately, there are treatments available to treat facet arthropathy. Over the counter anti-inflammatories, physical therapy, tylenol, and interventional pain procedures can be helpful. Most commonly, medial nerve branch blocks done under fluoroscopic x-ray have proven to be very beneficial. Patients first arrive to have the diagnostic injections. If successful, a patient my move on to have radiofrequency nerve ablation therapy. Radiofrequency ablation is done in a similar fashion to the diagnostic injection under x-ray. However, the radiofrequency ablation is meant to be therapeutic and last 6 months or more.

Medial and lateral epicondylitis are two conditions which can also be treated with injections and PRP and/or exosomes.  Lateral epicondylitis, also known as tennis elbow is a condition in which the outer part of the elbow becomes painful and tender. Medial epicondylitis is a similar condition affecting the inner aspect of the elbow, and is called golfer’s elbow. Risk factors include smoking and obesity.  Rest, changing activities, physical therapy, and medications may be helpful. Medications include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories, tylenol and steroid injections.  Almost every joint in the body can be injected to alleviate pain. The knee joint, the shoulder joint, and the hip joint can all be injected to alleviate pain and restore function.

Trigger point injections is a procedure used to treat areas of muscle that feel like knots and are exquisitely tender to the touch. These “trigger points” are injected with a small needle, sometimes with local anesthesia, a steroid, or both. On occasion, a healthcare provider may only use a needle to break up the trigger point area. This approach to treating muscle pain in the low back, neck, arms, and legs can also be used to treat fibromyalgia, tension headaches, and myofascial pain syndromes.