What is pain management?
Everyone experiences pain at one point or another. Pain is unlike other medical issues. It has a way of entering your life and affecting it in different ways. When you feel pain, it’s usually a sign that something needs attention.
Our pain management specialists are physicians who identify the source of the pain. Once diagnosed, they propose pain treatment options to lessen the pain and improve your quality of life. Not all treatments call for surgery. There are more minimally invasive non-surgical treatments available that can lessen pain.
What types of pain are there?
Pain can be one of two types:
- Acute pain: This pain typically lasts for a short time up to six months. The pain usually ends after the physician identifies the cause and treats it or it resolves itself.
- Chronic pain: This pain persists for more than six months or even years.
Some of the most common pain management procedures at Memorial Hermann Surgery Center The Woodlands include:
Epidural steroid injection
A herniated disc, spinal stenosis, and bone spurs can compress the spinal nerve and cause pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness. An epidural steroid injection targets the epidural space in the spine over the compressed nerve root. It helps reduce pain and inflammation associated with a compressed nerve.
Spinal Cord Stimulator (SCS) Implantation
A spine surgeon or pain management doctor implants a small battery pack called a generator. This goes under the skin, typically near the stomach or buttocks. Thin wires or electrodes are inserted between the spinal cord and the vertebrae. The patient uses a remote control to send low-level electrical pulses from the generator to the wires. These pulses help block pain signals from reaching the brain.
If you are experiencing chronic or acute pain, we may be able to help you with pain management. Our physicians will help a patient evaluate medications, physical therapy options, and devise a plan before turning to a surgical option.