Ease Back Pain with Interventional Procedures in Anchorage
Interventional procedures for the spine – get out of pain when nothing else works.
When you’ve tried traditional treatments for back pain and you’re still suffering, you need something more. The physiatrist at Denali Injury and Spine Center can help you find relief.
3 Interventional Procedures to Ease Your Pain
A physiatrist is a doctor who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation. Their goal is to restore and enhance the body’s ability to function properly. The doctor treats patients experiencing chronic, painful conditions, as well as those with disabilities or physical impairments, improving their overall quality of life.
Your physiatrist can help you navigate through all of your treatment options – including medication, physical therapy, spinal adjustments – and find the one that fits your needs.
However, at times, traditional therapies aren’t able to treat back pain, as in cases of:
- Disc degeneration
- Spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal column)
- Arthritis
- Joint dysfunctions
In those cases, your Anchorage physiatrist will recommend the following interventional procedures.
1. Facet Injections
Facets are small joints in the cervical (neck), thoracic (mid-back), and lumbar (lower back) spines that provide stability while guiding movement. You can experience facet joint if you’ve experienced:
- Traumatic injury
- Inflammation
- Arthritis
- Mechanical stress (overuse)
Your physiatrist can inject an anesthetic or steroid medication directly into the joint. The injection can reduce the pain enough so you can receive rehabilitative treatment.
2. Epidural Injections
An epidural injection – a mix of an anesthetic and steroid medication – can help when you have a bulging disc. The injection can reduce pain, decrease swelling, and minimize pressure around the affected nerves.
When your physiatrist identifies where the pain is originating, they’ll inject the medicine in that part of the spine, whether it’s the cervical, thoracic, or lumbar spine.
3. Radio Frequency Ablation (RFA)
If you have neck or lower back pain or arthritic joints, your physiatrist might recommend radio frequency ablation. During this minimally invasive procedure, your doctor uses a tool that produces a radio wave. The resulting electrical current heats the nerve fibers that are transmitting pain signals to your brain. Pain decreases because communication has been restricted.
Typically, this procedure is done after someone has had nerve block injections without success.
Denali Injury and Spine Center Will Help You Find the Best Treatment
The doctors at Denali Injury and Spine Center are committed to providing you with the best care. While chiropractic adjustments are a safe, effective, natural way to treat many painful conditions, they understand that some patients need more.
When you visit the Denali Injury and Spine Center office, you’ll receive a custom treatment plan that fits your unique needs and can include a variety of treatments including adjustments, physical therapy, interventional procedures (spine), massage therapy, and more.
Are you tired of struggling with chronic back pain? We can help! Contact us at 907-333-6525 to schedule a consultation.
