Mar 8, 2023
Chronic pain can affect your quality of life. Pain is considered to be chronic when it lasts longer than 3 months without any indication of improvement. Chronic pain can compromise your mobility, flexibility, and strength, affecting your day-to-day activities which can also lead to mental health issues.
Chronic pain can result from an injury or an underlying condition. The first step in treating chronic pain is identifying the root cause of the pain. Your physician will perform a thorough history, and physical exam and order imaging studies to help determine the pain source.
There are many conventional treatments for chronic pain, but many treatments just mask the symptoms, and surgery may be too invasive or unnecessary. Fortunately, there are minimally invasive treatment options for chronic pain.
Minimally invasive procedures for chronic pain management are less invasive than surgery, hence less pain and recovery time. The goal of these procedures is:
- To help stimulate healing of the underlying injury.
- To reduce the pain symptoms.
- To help the patient return to an active lifestyle and improve quality of life.
Available Minimally Invasive Procedures:
Prolotherapy
This procedure involves injecting dextrose solution to injured areas to stimulate the body to heal. It works by creating a mild inflammatory response, which helps to initiate the healing and strengthening of injured ligaments and tendons.
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections
Platelets are tiny cells in your blood that contain growth factors that are critical to healing. PRP is a concentrated sample of your own blood containing a high number of platelets. PRP can be injected to injured areas of your body to promote tissue regeneration, decrease inflammation, and encourage new blood vessel formation.
Bone marrow or Adipose (fat) derived cell therapy
Your bone marrow and adipose (fat) are a rich sources of mesenchymal cells, growth factors, and other cells that have tremendous potential for healing and restoring injured tissues. Through a simple outpatient procedure, your bone marrow or fat can be harvested, processed, and re-injected to injured areas of your body on the same day to stimulate healing and repair.
Final Thought
Chronic pain can affect your general well-being, but it doesn’t have to remain that way. Please fill out the form below and visit our website to learn about alternative ways to manage chronic pain.
Mar 3, 2023
ASK THE DOCS:
Facebook Live Series
Join us for a Live Question and Answer session with Dr. Chris Rogers and Dr. Mirielle Diaz
Topic: Shockwave Therapy for Orthopedic conditions
Date and Time: May 7, 2023. 12:30 PT
Join us on our Free Facebook Live Series called Ask the Docs. In this session, SDOMG physician experts will answer your questions on Biowave therapy, otherwise known as Shockwave therapy, in treating Orthopedic conditions.
Feb 20, 2023
Chronic pain in your body can make your life quite devastating. Conditions such as disc herniation, degenerative discs, spinal stenosis, and annular tears can cause intense pain, weakness, and discomfort to your back, thigh, legs, or buttocks.
If you suffer intense pain, you are likely searching for the best pain management solution. Spine surgery is hazardous and can cause irreversible damage to your nerves and spinal system.
The good news is that there are other effective yet minimally-invasive methods you can opt for. Epidural injections and facet joint injections are the most recommended non-surgical options for patients suffering from chronic neck and back pain.
What are Epidural Injections?
Epidural injections are used globally to manage neck and back pain. Traditionally, the physician recommends the treatment for managing neck, back, leg, or arm pain caused by conditions such as:
- Disc herniation
- Annular tear
- Degenerative changes
- Spinal stenosis
The injections contain a potent corticosteroid that has powerful anti-inflammatory properties. The injection can reduce swelling and inflammation. Consequently, the drug relieves local and referred pain. Platelet-rich plasma can also be injected in the epidural space for long term pain relief.
Additionally, epidural injections can be useful in identifying the root cause of pain. A specialist precisely injects around a nerve root or nerve and discovers the exact point of injury or inflammation.
What are Facet Joint Injections?
The facet joints are small joints located in the spine. The primary role of these joints is to allow your spine to move or twist.
Facet joint injections’ main role is to deliver anesthetic or steroids medications to these small joints. Platelet-rich plasma can also be injected into the facet joints to decrease inflammation.
A physician uses these types of injections for therapeutic and diagnostic reasons to manage pain resulting from arthritic or degenerative conditions on the facet joints. In most cases, facet joint injections are indicated in the following conditions:
- Arthritis affecting the facet joints
- Localized neck or back pain
What is the Difference Between Epidural Injections and Facet Joint Injections?
Epidural injections primarily treat pain that radiates from the spine to other parts such as the back, arm, or leg. It is useful in managing pain that occurs due to a specific nerve being inflamed or pinched.
Facet joint injections, on the other hand, treat pain around the facet joints. Mainly the injections are indicated for patients with pain that occurs due to arthritis conditions, or injury to the facet joints.
Both of these injections are done using X-ray guidance and performed with local anesthesia.
Book an Appointment at SDOMG
Don’t let chronic pain make your life miserable. We have specialists with vast experience in epidural injections and facet joint injections. The non-surgical methods are the most recommended in managing chronic back, or neck pain. Contact us to book an appointment with our specialists.
Feb 1, 2023
Do you want to know how customized exercises can improve your outcome after PRP and Stem cell therapy injections? Learn the difference between Traditional Physical therapy and “Regenerative” Physical therapy.
Date and Time : Feb 7, 2023 . 12 pm PT
Speaker(s): Darren Mallinson, PT
Darren is a European-trained physical therapist with a wide breadth of experience. He received his training from the Hoogeschol van Amsterdam and has maintained a lifelong passion to help people return to their lives. Darren uses his physical therapy training supplemented with a Strength and Conditioning Certification to treat the whole patient. From working with soccer players in Holland, dancers in New York, surfers in San Diego, and injured workers in Seattle, he has been able to help many people return to the activities that they love. He has been working closely with our Regenerative Medicine physicians at San Diego Orthobiologics Medical Group as a part of a multidisciplinary team to improve patient outcomes.
Darren will be joined by the Regenerative medicine physician experts at the San Diego Orthobiologics Medical Group for the Question and Answer portion after the presentation.
Dr. Chris Rogers
Dr. Mary A. Ambach
Dr. Mirielle Diaz
Dr. Edmund Evangelista
Jan 23, 2023
Dr Ambach is currently in Colorado Springs volunteering to take care of the Sports Medicine needs of our Elite Athletes at the largest Olympic Training Center in the Country. She gets the chance to work with a world class team of coaches, athletic trainors, physical therapists, massage therapists, nutritionists, and many other members of the high performance team. We are proud of Dr. Ambach being able to contribute to the care of the best of the best of America’s athletes.
