NEW JERSEY PAIN CLINICS
WHAT IS PAIN MANAGEMENT?
Chronic pain can be debilitating, interrupting your ability to do daily activities. The specialized team at IGEA Brain, Spine & Orthopedics are experts at helping patients manage pain and improve their quality of life through cutting-edge, compassionate care. Serving the Tri-State area of New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut, IGEA Brain, Spine & Orthopedics offers holistic treatment options for New Jersey patients with many different types of pain.
There are many types of back, neck, and spinal conditions that can cause chronic joint pain to New Jersey residents. While some patients can receive treatment for their condition and experience complete symptom relief, other conditions may cause chronic (ongoing) pain. This is especially true for degenerative conditions, such as arthritis, or conditions without an easily identifiable cause, such as migraines. At our New Jersey chronic pain management center, we’ll take excellent care of your pain, making sure you find relief. The IGEA Brain, Spine & Orthopedics doctors offer pain management treatment that can provide significant symptom relief.
MIGRAINE HEADACHES
Migraines are intense, long-lasting headaches that often are accompanied by sensitivity to light and sound, nausea, and fatigue. They can be triggered by certain foods, alcohol, stress, or environmental factors. Many patients who suffer from migraines can predict the onset of a headache after they see a flash of light or an aura.
The medical team at IGEA Brain, Spine & Orthopedics can help patients manage their migraines with medications that can alleviate symptoms and even help prevent migraines. Patients may benefit from treatments such as:
- Over-the-counter pain medication
- Prescription medications that block pain receptors in the body’s nerve endings
- Anti-seizure medications
- Anti-nausea medications
Because migraine triggers and symptoms vary widely from patient to patient, the experts at IGEA Brain, Spine & Orthopedics will develop an individualized pain management plan for a patient suffering from chronic migraines.
NEW JERSEY JOINT PAIN TREATMENT
Some patients seeking treatment at IGEA Brain, Spine & Orthopedics suffer from chronic back or neck pain. or neck pain. One common cause of back pain is stress on the facet joints of the spine, which are located along the spinal vertebrae. Normal wear and tear, injury, or arthritis can cause painful inflammation in these joints.
A facet joint injection is a quick, non-surgical, outpatient procedure that can provide considerable pain relief. Using a needle, a doctor will inject a small amount of anesthetic and steroid medication directly into the facet joint. This combination of medications temporarily numbs the joint, reducing pain and inflammation around the vertebrae.
This type of injection is a minimally invasive procedure that takes just a few minutes. The procedure can be performed in a doctor’s office and the patient can go home the same day. Typically, the patient is advised to refrain from strenuous activity immediately following the procedure, but most patients can return to work or school afterward.
NEUROSTIMULATION
Patients with chronic back pain or chronic headaches can benefit from many types of conservative treatment options, such as physical therapy and nonprescription pain medication. But when these types of treatment modalities do not provide relief, a patient may be a candidate for neurostimulation therapy.
Neurostimulation uses a surgically implanted device to send electrical impulses through the body that prevent pain signals from reaching the brain. IGEA Brain, Spine & Orthopedics offers the following treatments:
OCCIPITAL NERVE STIMULATION (ONS)
ONS is used to treat chronic headaches and migraines when other modalities have failed to provide pain relief. This treatment uses electrodes placed on the back of the head, over the occipital nerves, to deliver impulses that can help alleviate:
- Migraines, recurring and severe headaches that usually occur only on one side of the head (as described above)
- Cluster headaches, which develop in cyclical periods and may not subside for days, weeks, or months
- Hemicrania continua, a headache disorder characterized by ongoing pain in one side of the head or face
Before these electrodes are permanently implanted under a patient’s scalp, the patient will undergo a trial period to test if ONS treatment can help them. Temporary wires are inserted at the base of the skull and attached to an external battery. The patient will record their activities and level of pain relief over a period of time. If the nerve stimulation is effective, the patient can be a candidate for permanent implantation, where both the wires and the simulation device will be surgically placed in the patient’s body.
SPINAL CORD STIMULATION (SCS)
SCS is used to treat chronic back and neck pain. Patients undergo a trial period before neurostimulation wires are permanently implanted along their spine. During the trial period, the patient will be asked to keep a log of their activities and pain levels to gauge the implant’s effectiveness. SCS can treat conditions such as:
- Arachnoiditis, a disorder marked by pain resulting from arachnoid inflammation in the spinal canal
- Degenerative disc disease, an age-related condition involving the gradual breakdown of spinal discs (due to wear and tear or other conditions)
- Spinal cord injury, which results from a traumatic event that causes serious damage to the spine and spinal cord
- Spinal stenosis, develops when spinal spaces narrow and place pressure on nerves
If patients experience significant pain relief during the trial period and respond well to treatment, the wires and stimulation device can be surgically inserted in the patient’s back.
GET TREATMENT AT IGEA BRAIN, SPINE & ORTHOPEDICS
Chronic pain shouldn’t stop you from doing the things you love. The award-winning physicians at IGEA Brain, Spine & Orthopedics can provide safe, effective pain management treatments to help patients stay healthy and active. We offer treatment in multiple convenient locations across NJ and NY. For more information or to set up an appointment, contact IGEA Brain, Spine & Orthopedics today.
