The Pain Experts of Arizona - Mesa

Products And Services

• Joint Injections

  Our joints carry us seamlessly through the day. Whether we are lifting groceries from the car, climbing ladders, or hugging our children close, the joints in our body make all movement possible. Until they don’t. If joint pain is making simple tasks painful, a joint injection can help. At The Pain Experts of Arizona, we offer innovative joint injections Arizona residents can receive as a way to manage pain without more invasive surgery. If you’re ready to get back to pain-free living, learn more about these procedures in the following video and article, or schedule your Arizona joint injections consultation with our team. Conditions Treated Joint injections treat a wide variety of conditions that come down to three essential symptoms: pain, inflammation, and limited range of motion in the joints. We’ll focus primarily on joint injections for shoulders, knees, hips, and the back, but these injections can be done elsewhere throughout the body. Regardless of the condition treated, joint injections are one way to treat chronic pain that is not responsive to other treatments. Shoulder joint injections When we talk about the shoulder joint, we are actually referring to four separate joints that form what is known as the shoulder girdle. This rigid structure in the upper back helps to protect your most sensitive internal organs while still allowing free movement of the arms. Joint injections can help if you’re experiencing pain in the shoulders. Osteoarthritis may be the most common condition treated with shoulder joint injections. Other conditions include: Adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder) Rheumatoid arthritis Bursitis Rotator cuff tendinosis Shoulder joint injections may also help relieve some kinds of neck pain that is referred from the shoulder joint to other parts of the neck. Knee joint injections Three bones—the femur, tibia, and patella—are connected by an intricate network of ligaments and tendons in the knee. Cartilage lines the knee, and the calf and thigh muscles offer support and stability. All this work and movement in the joint lead to one of the most common causes of knee pain: arthritis. There are over 100 different types of arthritis, all of which cause pain and inflammation in the knee. A knee joint injection can help reduce swelling caused by arthritis. It can also ease the pain and inflammation of bursitis, another inflammatory condition. Hip joint injections Your hip joint is the largest weight-bearing joint in the body. Because we ask so much of it, many conditions treated with hip joint injections are related to wear and tear on the joint. These conditions include: Bursitis Osteoarthritis Tendinitis Transient synovitis Each of these hip conditions can lead to pain and inflammation. Left untreated, they can cause more serious damage to the hip. Back injections We tend to forget that our spine is made up of a series of joints, each connecting the vertebrae and allowing for stability as we move and twist. There are many different conditions that can cause pain in the joints of the back, and joint injections can help. For example, arthritis pain in the facet joints in the back can be relieved with joint injections, as can sacroiliac joint pain. Joint Injection Benefits Many patients experience pain relief and an improvement in mobility. They report an improved quality of life, with less pain and better range of motion. It’s important to talk to your doctor about the potential for a joint injection to ease your pain, though, as this approach may not work for every patient. Used conservatively in conjunction with other therapies such as strengthening exercises, joint injection benefits are real and worth investigating. Procedure The joint injection procedure is performed on an outpatient basis, right in your doctor’s office. Depending on the area to be injected, you may not have to change into a gown for the joint injection. You will position yourself on the exam table with the joint to be injected easily accessible (i.e., on your side for a hip injection). Your doctor cleans and sterilizes the injection site, then administers a local anesthetic to keep you comfortable during the procedure. Many doctors use fluoroscopy (X-ray) to guide their injection. The use of an X-ray helps your doctor to more precisely pinpoint the injection site. This minimizes the chance of joint injection risks. A contrast dye is injected to further confirm the needle’s position. Once the area to be injected is identified, your doctor will inject the medication. This might consist of a corticosteroid, hyaluronic acid, or other appropriate pain medication. The needle is slowly removed, and the injection site is covered with a small bandage.

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• Caudal Steroid Injections

  Caudal epidural steroid injections (Caudal ESI) help reduce inflammation and alleviate pain located in the lower back. Medical professionals typically recommend steroid injections when other treatment options, such as rest, physical therapy, and other medications, do not provide patients with the pain relief they seek. CONDITIONS TREATED These injections treat chronic lower back or leg pain caused by: Sciatica Herniated discs Bone spurs Spinal stenosis Other back problems BENEFITS OF CAUDAL STEROID INJECTIONS This non-surgical option relieves pain and inflammation in your back. PROCEDURE Before your caudal steroid injections Arizona patients should talk to their doctor about what medications they are taking. You may need to discontinue or briefly change your dosage of certain medications such as blood thinners or immunosuppressant medicines prior to your injections. During the procedure, you’ll be asked to lay on your abdomen on an X-ray table. The medical professional administering your injection will numb the skin on your lower back with a local anesthetic, and you may be given general anesthesia via an IV depending on your pain or comfort levels. Once the anesthesia takes effect, our Arizona caudal steroid injection provider, guided by the X-ray, will insert the needle into the lowest portion of the epidural space on your back and inject the medication into the area between the membrane containing spinal fluid, known as the dura, and the thickest ligament between your vertebrae. The continuous X-ray ensures medical professionals inject the steroid into the proper place in your back. The outpatient procedure typically takes less than thirty minutes. RECOVERY AFTER CAUDAL STEROID INJECTIONS Following your injection, you’ll need someone else to drive you home–you will be unable to drive for about a day. Some patients feel immediate pain relief while others feel relief after a week. You may experience an increase in pain in your lower back where the needle entered, but this temporary pain dissipates within two to three days of the injection. If this pain becomes bothersome, you can place an ice pack on it to relieve the pain. If you do not see any improvement following your injection within 10-14 days, contact your doctor to discuss the next steps. The duration of pain relief provided by these injections varies among patients, and some patients may need to have these injections regularly. RISK The risk for serious complications is very rare but can include bleeding, infection at the injection site, and headache. If you notice these, contact your doctor.

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• Radiofrequency Ablation

  Suffering from neck, upper back, or shoulder pain? Cervical medial branch radiofrequency ablation (also known as Radiofrequency Ablation) uses radiofrequency waves to heat up medial branch nerves in your cervical spine. This heat damages the nerves to create a lesion that then blocks pain signals to the brain. The result? Profound, long-lasting relief for people living with chronic pain. The Pain Experts of Arizona are ready to help you get back to pain-free living with this innovative, minimally invasive procedure. Get in touch today to schedule your Arizona Radiofrequency Ablation consultation. For a guide to this procedure, watch the following video or continue reading. Conditions Treated Cervical medial branch radiofrequency ablation (also referred to as cervical radiofrequency neurotomy) can treat chronic pain that originates from the facet joints in your neck. These facet joints connect each vertebra to the ones above and below. The joints allow for both movement and stability all along your spine. The medial branch nerves are located on either side of every vertebra in the spine. They run all the way through your cervical spine—that is, the upper vertebrae that make up your neck. These nerves weave around and through the facet joints. They are thin but transmit powerful sensations to the brain. When the cervical vertebrae suffer from injury or damage due to disease or wear-and-tear, the medial branch nerves may become compressed by inflamed tissues. If this happens, pain can occur in the neck, head, shoulders, and upper back. There are a variety of conditions that can benefit from cervical medial branch radiofrequency ablation. They include: Osteoarthritis in the facet joints Degenerative disc disease Spondylosis Whiplash Injury If a spinal compression fracture occurs and places pressure on the medial branch nerves, cervical medial branch radiofrequency ablation may provide pain relief during recovery as well. Benefits One of the major cervical medial branch radiofrequency ablation benefits is long-lasting pain relief. Even though damaged nerves can heal and re-grow, this generally takes between three and 12 months. During that time, many patients experience profound and total pain relief and a much-improved quality of life. In a study from October 2020, researchers found that when used after a successful medial branch block, cervical medial radiofrequency ablation offered complete, long-lasting pain relief. This builds on earlier systematic reviews that found that cervical medial branch radiofrequency ablation was more effective in relieving chronic neck pain than a simple steroid injection. Cervical medial branch radiofrequency ablation benefits also include the following: Quick recovery time Potential to decrease pain medication Improvement in mobility and function In many cases, cervical medial branch radiofrequency ablation can help people avoid more invasive surgeries and procedures. Procedure Typically, the radiofrequency ablation procedure is not the first stop in the treatment of your neck pain. If you have chronic neck pain and your doctor suspects that the medial branch nerves are responsible, they use a cervical medical branch block as a diagnostic tool. In this procedure, an anesthetic is injected in the area around the affected medial branch nerves. If this provides pain relief, it pinpoints these nerves as the source of your pain. It also confirms that you may be a good candidate for the cervical medial branch radiofrequency ablation procedure. Prior to starting radiofrequency ablation Pheonix patients will be made comfortable with IV medication. This will not make you sleep but will relax you and help keep you comfortable. You will be awake during the procedure to give your doctor feedback on pain levels if they need it. Once you are comfortable, your doctor will sterilize the area for the procedure. Two insulated needles are inserted using X-ray guidance. A small electrode is inserted in one of the needles. A weak radiofrequency current is applied to the affected medial branch nerves for less than two minutes. This current heats up the nerve to damage it. The damage severs the connection from the nerve to the brain that is sending pain signals. Once the cervical medial branch radiofrequency ablation procedure is complete, you will rest in recovery for observation. You may feel immediate pain relief, partial pain relief, or no pain relief directly after your procedure. It may take three weeks or more to get the full picture of the procedure’s effectiveness. Because nerves heal and grow, you may need to repeat the cervical medial branch radiofrequency ablation procedure from time to time. This is normal and safe.

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• Lumbar Medial Branch Radiofrequency Ablation

  Lumbar radiofrequency ablation is a procedure that damages nerve endings that are sending pain signals to your brain. While the idea of damaging nerves might sound scary, this procedure is a safe and effective option for patients who have tried more conservative pain treatments without relief. At The Pain Experts of Arizona, we specialize in hard-to-treat pain conditions and can help you get back to living pain-free. Our comprehensive approach means we focus on treating your pain with innovative procedures and address long-term recovery through complementary therapies. Learn more about radiofrequency ablation in the following video and article, or schedule your appointment to get started. Conditions treated Lumbar sympathetic blocks reduce chronic pain caused by Many of the conditions that can lead to back pain also lead to pressure on or damage to the sensitive nerves in your lumbar spine. Lumbar radiofrequency ablation can offer pain relief in conjunction with other treatments for underlying pain conditions. Most often, lumbar radiofrequency ablation treats lower back pain that has not responded to other more conservative treatments. While the radiofrequency ablation procedure can be performed at any level of the spine, lumbar radiofrequency ablation generally targets lower back pain that: Is felt on one or both sides of the spine Radiates outwards (but not below the knee) Increases when you twist or lift objects Decreases when you lie down The cause of this type of pain can vary. Arthritis of the spine is a common condition treated with lumbar radiofrequency ablation, as is facet joint pain and sacroiliac joint pain. BENEFITS Lumbar radiofrequency ablation benefits extend to a variety of chronic pain patients. Benefits include: Immediate pain relief for many patients Brief recovery time Better function and mobility Decreased pain medication use Quick return to daily activities (e.g., work and leisure activities) Helps patients avoid more invasive surgeries People who have tried other treatments unsuccessfully may be good candidates for this treatment. Additionally, patients who have had pain relieved with a medial branch block (or other similar blocks) are good candidates for more permanent pain relief. Medial branch blocks help pinpoint the exact location of nerve damage or inflammation. With lumbar radiofrequency ablation Arizona pain specialists can then treat the source of your pain directly. Another lumbar radiofrequency ablation benefit is its longevity. Successful procedures can offer as much as two years of pain relief (more commonly between six and 12 months). The targeted nerves may regrow, but the procedure can safely be repeated as necessary for pain relief. PROCEDURE The lumbar radiofrequency ablation procedure is performed on an outpatient basis and takes just a few hours from start to finish. On the day of your procedure, you’ll change into a gown and position yourself face down on the examination table. This procedure is usually done without sedatives so that you can give your doctor feedback on pain relief. If you are feeling anxious about pain, your doctor may recommend a mild sedative before the procedure. Otherwise, the lumbar radiofrequency ablation procedure is very similar to any nerve blocks you may have already had. Once you are comfortable on the table your doctor will clean and sterilize the ablation site. They will use a topical anesthetic before injecting a local anesthetic to minimize discomfort. Using fluoroscopic (X-ray) guidance, your doctor inserts a thin, hollow needle to the nerve that is being treated. A contrast dye may be injected to ensure the needle’s proper position. Once the position is confirmed, your doctor first injects pain-relieving medication before following that with a 90-second burst of electrical current. This electrical current creates a lesion on the nerve that essentially blocks future pain signaling to the brain. The lumbar radiofrequency ablation procedure, including forming the lesion, should not be uncomfortable. You may feel pressure, but the pain should be minimal. RECOVERY Lumbar radiofrequency ablation recovery is nearly immediate. You will be able to step off the examination table immediately and walk around. Some patients feel near-instantaneous pain relief, while others may not experience any relief for up to three weeks. This depends on other medical conditions and the degree of pain you were experiencing. Your doctor will observe you for a few minutes after you are finished, then release you to recover at home. It’s best to have a friend or family member drive you home, especially if you chose to take a mild sedative.

  Link: Lumbar Medial Branch Radiofrequency Ablation

• Sacroiliac Joint Injections

  Sacroiliac (SI) joint injections are a diagnostic tool and treatment option for SI joint dysfunction. This minimally invasive outpatient procedure provides pain relief for chronic SI joint pain and is also known as a sacroiliac (SI) joint block. Using these injections as a diagnostic tool provides patients with quick-acting pain relief, while it provides patients with slower-acting but longer-term pain relief when used as a treatment option. Conditions Treated by SI Joint Injections SI joint dysfunction Sciatica Low back pain Benefits of SI Injections Able to help diagnose lower back pain Provides pain relief Short procedure and recovery time When used as a diagnostic tool, your healthcare professional will use a local anesthetic to numb your SI joint. They will then ask you to engage in ordinarily painful activities. If the SI joint injection lessens the pain during these activities, your healthcare professional will perform a second diagnostic injection with a different numbing medication. If both injections provide a statistically significant reduction in the patient’s pain, the SI joint is confirmed as the source of pain. If not, your medical professional will order other diagnostic tests to find the cause of your lower back pain. When used as a treatment option, your healthcare provider will inject a corticosteroid into your SI joint to provide pain relief by reducing inflammation in the joint. Your doctor may suggest this treatment option if you have not found pain relief after six months of conservative treatment. SI joint injections may be used in conjunction with other conservative treatment options or as a one-time procedure. Pain relief provided by nerve blocks varies between patients. Some patients report complete pain relief for several months, while others report partial pain relief for several weeks. Risks Steroid injections are generally safe, but there remains a small chance of complications, such as: Allergic reaction to anesthesia or medication Bleeding or infection at injection site Bruising or soreness at or around the injection site Leg weakness or numbness Short-term elevated blood sugar for those living with diabetes Your Arizona sacroiliac joint injections provider has weighed the benefits of this treatment against its risks to determine this is the best treatment option for you. If you have further concerns, discuss them with your doctor. Procedure Before your sacroiliac joint injections Arizona pain specialist Dr. Kuppusamy may ask you to stop taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), immunosuppressant medication, and blood thinners to reduce your risk of serious complications or infections. If you are pregnant or suspect you are pregnant, talk to your doctor about alternative treatment options. Your healthcare professional may ask you not to eat or drink several hours before the procedure. This procedure cannot be performed if the patient has an active infection or symptoms of a cold, flu, or similar malady. If you experience these symptoms on the day of the procedure, you will need to reschedule your injections. During the procedure, you will lie face down on the table. The healthcare professional performing your procedure may administer general anesthesia through an IV, depending on your comfort levels and pain tolerance. They will then sanitize the skin surrounding your SI joint and inject local anesthesia into the area. Using x-ray guidance and contrast dye, they will inject the numbing medication. They will inject lidocaine or bupivacaine for diagnostic tests, while they will inject a corticosteroid or other anti-inflammatory medicine for therapeutic nerve blocks. This procedure lasts between twenty and thirty minutes, and you will remain in an observation room afterward to ensure no immediate complications or adverse reactions occur. Recovery You will need someone to drive you home following your injection, and you should rest the remainder of the day. You may notice an increase in pain at the injection site, but it will dissipate within two to three days. If the pain becomes too bothersome, you can take over-the-counter pain relievers or use an ice pack. Drink plenty of water while resting to flush the contrast dye from your system. The diagnostic injections should provide some pain relief instantaneously. Your healthcare professional will ask you to engage in previously painful activities over the next several days to weeks. Document what activities you do and any pain or soreness you feel during or after those activities. The corticosteroid injections may take several days to weeks to feel any pain relief. If you experience no pain relief three weeks after your injection, contact your healthcare professional to discuss further treatment options.

  Link: Sacroiliac Joint Injections

• Mid Back Ablation

  For hard-to-treat, unresponsive pain in your middle and upper back, thoracic medial branch radiofrequency ablation can help. This procedure uses a mild electrical current to create a lesion on your medial branch nerves that then prevents pain signals from reaching the brain. For many people, this procedure provides long-lasting, complete pain relief in a minimally-invasive, outpatient procedure. Pain-free living is within your reach. When you are ready to explore how thoracic medial branch radiofrequency ablation can help you, reach out to the team at The Pain Experts of Arizona. Or, for more on how thoracic medial branch radiofrequency ablation (RFA) works, watch the following video or keep reading. Conditions treated by Mid Back Ablation The stable, strong bones of your thoracic spine have a very important job. These 12 vertebrae connect ten ribs to the sternum in the front of the body, creating a rigid, protective structure for our vital organs. Because of this job, the middle and upper back do not have much mobility. Instead, their main task is to provide stability, not movement. Even so, it is possible to develop unresponsive, chronic pain in this area of the spine. Each vertebra is connected to the one above and below by facet joints. These joints are wrapped in medial branch nerves that transmit sensations to the brain. If the facet joints are damaged due to injury, trauma, or excessive wear, they can press on the medial branch nerves. Thoracic medial branch radiofrequency ablation can help dull these nerves while the facet joints heal or are rehabilitated. As with all other vertebrae, the facet joints enable what little movement there is in this region to be supported. Winding through each joint is a thin web of medial branch nerves that are responsible for pain signals. If the facet joints are inflamed or otherwise irritated, the resulting pain can be debilitating. Other conditions that can cause pain in the thoracic spine include: Spondylosis Spondylolisthesis Chronic chest wall pain Chronic middle back pain Mid Back Ablation Risks Thoracic medial branch radiofrequency ablation is a remarkably safe and effective procedure for treating unresponsive middle and upper back pain. As with any medical procedure, there are side effects and risks to consider. Some potential thoracic medial branch radiofrequency ablation side effects include: Swelling at the injection site A minor increase in pain (followed by a decrease) Bruising or bleeding at the injection site Increased sensitivity in the area of the procedure (hyperesthesia) Local numbness Rare but more serious thoracic medial branch radiofrequency ablation risks can occur. An allergic reaction to the injected medication can also occur. To prevent this, tell your doctor if you have ever had a reaction to an anesthetic. Infection is another rare but serious risk. After your procedure, if you are feeling unwell; have a fever over 101; or notice excessive swelling, oozing, or pain at the injection site, check-in with your doctor. Other thoracic medial branch radiofrequency ablation risks can include: Neuroma (thickening of the nerve) Numbness in the legs Damage to blood vessels and nerves surrounding the targeted nerves Many of these potential side effects and risks can be avoided with proper nerve targeting using X-ray guidance. Also, work with a pain specialist with advanced experience performing this procedure. Mid Back Ablation Procedure At The Pain Experts of Arizona thoracic medial branch radiofrequency ablation procedures most often begin with another minimally invasive procedure: a thoracic medial branch block. This is an injection of an anesthetic medication over the pain-signaling medial branch nerves. For some patients, this is the first and only treatment they need for pain relief, so they can start other treatments like physical therapy. For others, this block relieves pain but quickly wears off within days or even hours. That it works, though, is a sign that you are a good candidate for a thoracic medial branch radiofrequency ablation procedure. To begin, position yourself face down on the examination table. Your doctor administers a local anesthetic to make you more comfortable. They may also offer a mild sedative if you are nervous or concerned about pain during the procedure. As with the thoracic medial branch block, your doctor uses X-ray guidance to position a hollow needle in the epidural space near the targeted medial branch nerves. They might again inject contrast dye to ensure proper placement. Once the needle is in place, your doctor sends a tiny electrode through the hollow needle to the end of each targeted nerve. A wave of radiofrequency current travels through the electrode to burn the nerve ending.

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• Trigger Point Injections

  Trigger Point Injections is a procedure used to treat painful areas in a muscle. The procedure is carried out in the doctor’s office in just a few minutes. In the procedure, a small needle is inserted into the patient’s trigger point. The injection contains a local anesthetic or saline, and may include a corticosteroid. The trigger point is made inactive and the pain is alleviated. A course of treatment will help to alleviate the pain long term. Learn more about the benefits of trigger point injections Arizona based interventional pain specialist Dr. Ahdev Kuppusamy offers in the video below. Schedule an appointment today!

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• Vertiflex™ for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

  Lumbar spinal stenosis sufferers often deal with constant, debilitating pain and functional issues. Even if symptoms are mild, daily life can be greatly affected. Now, without medications or ongoing treatment, there is a safe and effective way to get long-term relief from symptoms without major surgery. Vertiflex with The Pain Experts of Arizona At The Pain Experts of Arizona, we strive to provide our patients with the most advanced and proven pain reduction technology available. Vertiflex is a highly effective treatment that can help relieve your LSS symptoms and improve your daily quality of life. Our team would be excited to help guide you through the process for outstanding outcomes. What is Lumbar Spinal Stenosis? Lumbar spinal stenosis is when the open space or canal in the spine of the lower back becomes narrow and begins to constrict the spinal cords and nerves. This constriction then causes pressure and pain in the area. Causes of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Wear and tear over time, clinically referred to as osteoarthritis, is the most frequent cause of LSS. Herniated disks, injuries, and rarely, tumors can also cause the condition. Symptoms of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Symptoms can range from general lower back pain and cramping or numbness in the legs to more specific and severe issues like loss of feeling in the feet, difficulty with bladder and bowel control, and trouble walking due to severe pain. The Dangers of Untreated Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Untreated LSS can lead to irreversible spinal damage and permanent incontinence or lower body paralysis. What is Vertiflex? Vertiflex uses a small implant that is placed inside the spine to help prevent the canal from narrowing while walking or standing. This leads to a reduction in pressure on the nerves, relieving leg and back pain symptoms commonly associated with LSS. Benefits of Vertiflex For those suffering from the effects of lumbar spinal stenosis, symptom relief without regular injections or pain medications could help them go about their daily lives with more ease and comfort. With Vertiflex, benefits include: Rapid LSS symptom relief Minimally invasive No anesthesia Various-sized spacers for customization Vertiflex Candidates Vertiflex is a multi-symptom treatment that can address an assortment of concerns related to LSS. There are a few advanced spinal issues that may not make certain patients good candidates for this procedure, so it’s essential to speak with a pain or spinal expert. Consultation and Preparation At a consultation with The Pain Experts of Arizona, we will determine if you are a good candidate for Vertiflex, create a tailored treatment plan, and provide you with details on any necessary preparatory steps prior to your treatment. Procedure Using only local anesthesia, a tiny incision is made to insert the Superion® Indirect Decompression System into the spine. No tissue or bone needs to be removed. The procedure usually only takes around 30 to 45 minutes. Results, Recovery, and Aftercare Symptom relief is usually immediate, but full recovery usually takes four to six weeks. Light activity can be resumed within a few days or when it’s comfortable. Long-term results are typical, with many patients still symptom-free at five years post-procedure. Why choose The Pain Experts of Arizona? The Pain Experts of Arizona is a highly rated group of medical professionals who serve the Gilbert, Chandler, and Phoenix areas. We are passionate about pain management and work to find the most effective and safest methods to help our patients restore their quality of life. Schedule Your Arizona Vertiflex Consultation with The Pain Experts of Arizona Today Start living your life pain-free! Call us today at (480) 542-6487 or message us online! Vertiflex™ Treatment FAQs Are Vertiflex procedures common? Tens of thousands of Vertiflex procedures have been successfully performed, becoming an increasingly common method for pain relief. Is Vertiflex painful? This procedure is performed using local anesthesia and a very small incision, so no pain is felt during the procedure. Patients may feel some mild soreness for a few days afterward. Is Vertiflex safe? What are the risks? As with most minor surgical procedures, there is a minor risk of infection or bleeding. More serious but rare risks could include bone fracture or implant movement. Is Vertiflex permanent? This treatment is considered highly effective for up to five years, and many patients enjoy pain relief for longer. How much does Vertiflex cost? The cost of Vertiflex varies depending on the needs of each particular patient and how extensive the procedure will be. Will my insurance cover Vertiflex? Yes, in most cases, both public and private health insurance will cover most or all of the cost of Vertiflex.

  Link: Vertiflex™ for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

• Carpal Tunnel Injections

  Several non-surgical treatment options available for carpal tunnel syndrome include wearing a wrist brace or splint, stretching, changing your lifestyle habits, and taking pain relievers. Carpal tunnel injections can be used when previous treatments have not reduced your wrist pain. These injections contain a powerful anti-inflammatory agent such as corticosteroids or cortisone. If you exhibit signs of carpal tunnel syndrome, schedule an appointment with the Pain Experts of Arizona. Learn more about the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome here. Conditions treated Carpal tunnel syndrome Benefits The goal of these injections is to reduce the prevalence of your symptoms. The duration of the symptom relief can vary from a few weeks to a few months. Some patients find their symptoms to be resolved completely following their injections. Procedure Your procedure takes place in the scanning room, where the ultrasound technician will have you place your hand on a table or bed in a comfortable position. Prior to the injections, the technician will perform an ultrasound to confirm carpal tunnel syndrome is present. After sanitizing your wrist, your doctor will inject corticosteroids or cortisone into the median nerve, which is the nerve affected by carpal tunnel syndrome. The steroids reduce the swelling in the connective tissue, thus reducing the pressure on the median nerve. Prior to receiving carpal tunnel injections Arizona patients should talk to their doctor about medication, as you may need to stop or reduce your medication. Because injections increase the risk of infection, your doctor may ask you to stop taking any immunosuppressive medication. If you’re taking blood thinners, you might need to reduce your dosage. Do not stop or restart your medication until your doctor instructs you to. Recovery You should rest your hand and wrist for six hours and reduce its use over the next several days. You may experience some numbness in your hand due to the anesthetic, and you should not drive yourself home. You may experience an increase in your symptoms over the first few days following your procedure, as the corticosteroid does not typically take effect until at least a day after. It may take up to a week to feel relief. Risk This procedure is a very safe procedure, but there can be some complications. An allergic reaction to the corticosteroid, local anesthetic, antiseptic liquid, and band-aids is possible but uncommon. There is a small risk of infection from the injection, but the doctor will minimize this risk by performing the procedure under sterile conditions. The needle can potentially pass through the nerve, which can cause severe pain.

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• Lumbar Sympathetic Block

  The sympathetic nerves are the part of the autonomic nervous system that constricts blood flow and increases your heart rate, blood pressure, and perspirations. These nerves can also transmit pain following an injury to trauma to the surrounding nerves, tendons, ligaments, and bones. The sympathetic nerves sometimes become unnecessarily stimulated, which causes the constriction of blood vessels and poor circulation in your limbs. When the sympathetic nerves surrounding the lumbar spine become unnecessarily stimulated, they can cause mild to severe leg and foot pain. Lumbar sympathetic blocks are a minimally invasive outpatient treatment option that relieves chronic leg and foot pain by injecting steroids into the sympathetic nerves located on the front side of the spine. These blocks can function as a diagnostic tool for chronic lumbar pain. Conditions treated Lumbar sympathetic blocks reduce chronic pain caused by Complex regional pain syndrome Reflex sympathetic dystrophy Vascular insufficiency Shingles Neuropathy Phantom limb pain Lower limb painful ischemia Cancer pain Raynaud’s syndrome Excessive sweating Spasms in blood vessels Benefits Pain relief Assists in diagnosis process Short recovery period Non-surgical option for pain relief Procedure Before your procedure, your Arizona lumbar sympathetic block provider may ask you to stop taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), immunosuppressant medication, and blood thinners to reduce your risk of serious complications or infections. If you are pregnant or suspect you are pregnant, talk to your doctor about alternative treatment options. Your healthcare professional may ask you not to eat or drink several hours before the procedure. This procedure cannot be performed if the patient has an active infection or symptoms of a cold, flu, or similar malady. If you experience these symptoms on the day of the procedure, you will need to reschedule your nerve block. Your healthcare professional will ask you to lie face down on an x-ray table and administer a low-grade sedative to help you relax. They will then sanitize your back before injecting a local anesthetic into the lumbar sympathetic ganglia located at the back of the spine. Using x-ray guidance and contrast dye, your healthcare professional will inject the medicine into the proper location. If the lumbar sympathetic block is for therapeutic purposes, they will inject a corticosteroid. Diagnostic lumbar sympathetic blocks use a numbing medication or local anesthetic. At The Pain Experts of Arizona lumbar sympathetic block procedures typically last less than thirty minutes. Once the medical practitioner completes the injection, you will remain in an observation room for about fifteen to thirty minutes to ensure no complications or immediate reactions occur. You must be able to walk without feeling weakness in your legs before you can return home. For most patients, this will happen in under an hour. Recovery Once discharged, you will be unable to drive or perform any rigorous activity for the remainder of the day. You will need someone else to drive you home from your procedure. You cannot take a bath or soak in water for three days after the injection. Your healthcare professional will recommend relaxing for the remainder of the day before returning to your normal activities. You may experience an increase in lower back pain at the injection site, but this pain should dissipate within 48-72 hours. If the pain becomes intolerable, you can take over-the-counter pain medicine or apply an ice compress. The onset of pain relief and its duration vary greatly among patients. Some patients report feeling immediate pain relief, while others feel relief after several days. Lumbar sympathetic blocks used for diagnostic reasons should provide pain relief within the same day, while therapeutic ones may take up to ten days to provide pain relief. Your pain relief may last several weeks or several months. If these nerve blocks successfully relieve your back pain, your healthcare professional may suggest adding periodic lumbar sympathetic blocks to your routine treatment regimen. Risk Lumbar sympathetic blocks are generally safe procedures, but there remains the possibility for compilations, such as: Infection, bleeding, or bruising at the injection site Allergic reaction to steroids or anesthesia Nerve damage Paralysis Sharp blood pressure decrease Anesthetic toxicity Blood in your urine Muscular numbness or weakness

  Link: Lumbar Sympathetic Block