Nerve Pain + Injuries Specialists
What Types of Nerves do we have?
Nerve injuries and pain often result from damage to peripheral nerves within your body. When nerves are damaged, they become over sensitive and send constant pain signals throughout the body. We have 3 main types of nerves: (1) Motor Nerves, (2) Sensory Nerves, (3) Autonomic Nerves.
Common Nerve Injury Symptoms:
- Numbness, Tingling or Burning
- Pain radiating along the path of the nerve or near the nerve
- Weakness or loss of muscular control
- Sharp Pains in the hands, legs or feet
- Slow bowel motility
- Lightheadedness
- Hyperhidrosis (increased sweating)
When Should a Doctor be Consulted for Nerve Pain or Injuries?
If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms consistently across a period of time between 1 week – 1 month or more, then you should consult your doctor or a pain management physician. It is important to note that you may not always feel the pain, but if it comes and goes persistently and nothing seems to help it at home, then it is important to be evaluated to avoid progression.
How are Nerve Pain + Injuries Evaluated?
When you meet with one of our physicians for an evaluation, they will ask you about your symptoms in detail and do a physicial examination in order to better determine possible causes of your injury or condition. They may also order other tests/imaging to rule other conditions out or schedule nerve studies such as an EMG test to indicate if certain conditions are present.
Nerve Pain and Injury Treatments
Treatments can vary based on pain origin and other related conditions, but in general some of our minimally invasive, targeted nerve treatments include:
01.
Nerve Blocks
Nerve blocks target specific nerves or nerve clusters that are responsible for creating pain sensations. These injections are done under fluoroscopy guided imaging for accuracy and inject pain blocking/numbing medications to calm the nerves and block the pain.
*This is done outpatient and does not require anesthesia.
02.
Medical Acupuncture
Medical Acupuncture is a more holistic relief approach to treating nerve pain and is performed by inserting tiny needles along various acupoints along the body to provide stimulation of the nerves to create a calming effect throughout the body.
*This is done outpatient and does not require anesthesia
03.
Radiofrequency Ablation for Pain
This minimally invasive procedure utilizes fluoroscopy guided imaging to internally remove nerve fibers that carry the pain signals to the brain by using heat.
*This is done outpatient and does not require anesthesia.
04.
Spinal Cord Stimulator
This mini-surgical procedure is done on a trial basis prior, and it is aimed at providing consistent nerve pain control and relief. Electrical leads are placed into the epidural space of the spine to trigger various pulsations to the surrounding nerves in various ways to provide relief and promote mobility. These pulsing sensations are controlled via a blue tooth remote and have the ability to be adjusted as needed. This is an effective treatment for neuropathy conditions.
*This surgical procedure requires no general anesthesia.
05.
Peripheral Nerve Stimulators
This mini-surgical procedure is done on a trial basis and is used when multiple other therapies have not worked. It is for localized nerve pain relief in specific areas on the body by providing electrical impulses to target the specific area in an effort to disrupt the pain signals from the brain.
*This surgical procedure requires no general anesthesia.
06.
Medical Marijuana + Medication Management
Along with other treatments, medical marijuana and CBD have been effective in reducing nerve pain sensations and calming the body. Other traditional nerve medications are often also used in conjunction with other treatments to try and break the pain cycle.
