In Good Health - Summer 2009 - (Page 4)

Advanced pain management options help you turn your back on pain Spinal cord stimulation interventional therapies with physical therapy and medications tends to have the best results.” Interventional therapy offers a targeted approach for pain control as opposed to oral medications that tend to have many adverse effects. Interventional therapy is tailored to the patient’s needs and can include the following: Trigger point injections aid in the treatment of pain resulting from muscle spasm or strain. Epidural steroid injections help control the pain originating from spinal stenosis, which is a narrowing of the spinal canal, disc pain and pain resulting from nerve compromise (neuropathic pain). Joint injections help control arthritis pain, including injections for the facet joints, which are small joints in the lower back, and the sacroiliac joint, which connects the tail bone to the hip bone. control, Dr. Zakari says. In this procedure, an electrical current produced by a radio wave heats the nerve tissue and disrupts its ability to send the pain signals. This procedure is safe and is only targeted toward the pain transmitting nerves. And for patients with severe chronic pain, especially those with complex regional pain syndrome (aka reflex sympathetic dystrophy, or RSD) or pain persisting after spine surgery, spinal cord stimulation (SCS) might be an option. SCS is a two-phase process, Dr. Zakari says, the first of which is a trial. During this simple, outpatient procedure, a fine wire called a lead is inserted next to the spinal cord without making any incisions. The lead is connected to an external device that transmits electrical pulses to the spinal cord, blocking pain signal transmission. “If during this test phase, the patient feels the therapy is improving his or her quality of life, we move to the second phase,” Dr. Zakari says. The second phase is a minor surgical procedure, where the physician implants the device, which resembles a pacemaker, and the leads into the body. The best therapy will vary by patient, Dr. Zakari explains. “Every patient is different,” he says. “We start with the simplest therapy and work to find the best treatment possible.” It might be a sudden, sharp pain that strikes unexpectedly, or it could be a nagging pain that intensifies over time. Either way, you aren’t alone—back pain affects 80 percent of us at some point during our lives, according to the National Institutes of Health. Fortunately, Fairview Hospital’s expert pain management physicians offer a number of advanced interventional pain management options 4 In gOOD HEALTH to help you feel like yourself again. Interventional Therapies If pain limits your activity in any way, the first step in pain management is to see your doctor, says Adel Zakari, MD, interventional pain management specialist at Fairview Hospital. “If back pain is severe, therapies like medication and physical therapy may not adequately control the pain,” he says. “Combining EAsIng THE PAIn To make an appointment or learn more about the Pain Management Center at Fairview Hospital, call 216.476.7331 or visit fairviewhospital.org. Advanced Treatment Options In addition to interventions mentioned above, radio frequency ablation can be used for long-term pain Adel M. Zakari, MD Interventional pain management physician at Fairview Hospital suMMEr 2009 http://www.fairviewhospital.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of In Good Health - Summer 2009

In Good Health - Summer 2009
Contents
Lung Cancer Patients Can Breathe Easier With New Procedure
Turn Your Back On Pain With Advanced Options
Hip Fractures: Are You At Risk?
Ronald McDonald Family Room Provides the Comforts of Home
Epileptic Children Now Have Quality Care Close to Home

In Good Health - Summer 2009