Interventional Pain Management for Back and Neck Pain in Denver

FAQs about Interventional Spine and Pain Management in Denver

• What is interventional pain management?
  • Interventional pain management in Denver uses a variety of minimally invasive procedures to diagnose and treat various types of pain. At Neurosurgery One, our interventional pain management physicians are board-certified physiatrists who specialize in the treatment of back, neck, and joint pain.
  • Here are a few of the interventional pain management techniques we offer at the Neurosurgery One Spine Center to reduce or eliminate back and neck pain:
    • Spine injections: Used to diagnose and treat pain, spine injections can be a very useful procedure for back and neck pain. With X-ray guidance, known as fluoroscopy, interventional pain management specialists can inject medications directly into the target area. If you want, we provide sedation to make these injections less painful.
    • Intracept: Also known as basivertebral nerve ablation, this procedure uses radiofrequency to ablate the nerve in the vertebral endplate that is causing pain.
    • ReActiv8: This is a specific type of neurostimulation treatment that uses an implanted device to send painless electrical pulses to the multifidus muscle, a muscle group in the lower back that causes mechanical lower back pain when it is not functioning properly.
    • Nerve blocks: These injections are placed into the nerve to reduce inflammation or interrupt pain signals sent from the nerves to the central nervous system.
    • Radiofrequency ablation: Also called rhizotomy, this procedure uses heat to destroy the nerve responsible for transmitting pain signals to the brain. Radiofrequency ablation is usually recommended for people with lower back pain.
    • Spinal cord stimulation: This type of neurostimulation generates electrical impulses to prevent pain signals from reaching the brain, significantly reducing or eliminating experienced pain.
    • Sprint PNS: This type of peripheral nerve stimulation is an effective temporary, non-surgical treatment for reducing or eliminating chronic neck pain, lower back pain, or pain that radiates into the arms or legs.
• What are the most common interventional pain management treatments?

  Every patient with back, neck, or joint pain is different, which is why your interventional pain management treatment plan must be tailored to your spine condition, overall health and goals. The most common baseline pain management options include lifestyle and diet modifications, medications, physical therapy, alternative therapies like acupuncture, and spinal injections or nerve blocks. Reducing chronic inflammation also may be recommended. Patients who have seen a medical provider for spine pain and tried medically managed conservative treatments such as physical therapy also may want to consider an interventional pain management procedure to delay or avoid spine surgery, if possible.

• Am I a good candidate for interventional pain management for my back pain?

  The majority of people with back or neck pain will find relief with time and/or conservative treatment, such as physical therapy. Every person with back or neck pain who is not experiencing emergency symptoms should follow a well-researched path of care that begins with home care, then conservative treatments. If pain continues after trying conservative pain management approaches, interventional pain management procedures may be effective. Anyone who has experienced back or neck pain and tried home care for 6 weeks or conservative treatment for 3 months and continues to have persistent pain should seek pain management care. 

• How do you know what is causing my back or neck pain?

  To diagnose back and neck pain, patients first have an initial exam, imaging, and an in-depth consultation with a pain management specialist. Your medical records and personal history will be thoroughly reviewed. It often takes time to diagnose back, neck, and joint pain, so a variety of conservative treatments may be pursued while our pain management specialists diagnose your pain.   Diagnostic injections may also be recommended to pinpoint the root cause of the pain.  

• Why should I choose Neurosurgery One to manage my back pain or neck pain?

  At Neurosurgery One, we use the latest evidence-based approach to pain management. We also work closely with you to ensure your goals are part of your pain management plan. If you are never going to try steroid injections, for instance, we won’t suggest it as part of your care plan. We offer a range of pain management treatment options, from physical therapy to interventional pain management procedures, while always recommending the most conservative options when possible. We also work daily as a team with our Denver spine surgeons to consider whether back surgery or neck surgery is a good option and when is the right time to recommend surgery if it is necessary.