Injections

Chronic pain can significantly impact your quality of life, limiting your ability to work, exercise, and enjoy everyday activities. When over-the-counter medications and physical therapy aren't enough, pain relief injections offer a powerful solution.

What is a Pain Relief Injection?

Injections are medical procedures designed to deliver medication directly to the source of pain. Unlike oral medications that must pass through your digestive system, these injections provide immediate relief by targeting the precise location of pain.

These injections for pain relief typically contain a combination of an anesthetic and a steroid. The anesthetic provides immediate pain relief by numbing the area, while the steroid reduces inflammation, leading to longer-lasting relief. Depending on the specific condition, different types of injections are used to target pain effectively.

Common Types of Pain Relief Injections

• Epidural Steroid Injections: Often used for back pain relief, especially in cases of sciatica, herniated discs, or spinal stenosis. The injection is administered in the epidural space around the spinal cord to reduce inflammation and alleviate pain.
• Facet Joint Injections: These injections target the small joints located between each vertebra in the spine, which can become inflamed due to arthritis or injury.
• Trigger Point Injections: These are used to treat painful areas of muscle that contain trigger points, or knots of muscle that form when muscles do not relax.
• Sacroiliac Joint Injections: Used to relieve pain in the sacroiliac joint.
• Steroid Injection: Reduces inflammation and pain in affected areas.
• Bursa Injection: Targets inflammation and pain in the bursae, which are fluid-filled sacs in the knees and shoulders.
• Viscosupplementation Injection: Alleviates joint pain by improving joint lubrication.
• Joint Injection: Directly addresses pain and inflammation in the joint.

Benefits of Pain Relief Injections

Pain Relief Injections offer numerous advantages for individuals suffering from chronic pain, making them one of the best pain relief injection options available.

• Targeted Pain Relief: Injections deliver medication directly to the source of pain, providing more effective relief than oral medications.
• Quick Onset of Action: Pain relief is often immediate, especially with the anesthetic component of the injection.
• Minimally Invasive: Most injections are performed as outpatient procedures, requiring little to no downtime.
• Long-Lasting Relief: Depending on the type of injection and the underlying condition, relief can last for weeks to months.
• Reduction in Medication Use: By providing effective pain relief, these injections can reduce the need for oral pain medications, which often come with side effects.

Conditions Treated with Pain Relief Injections

At Interventional Pain & Spine Center, our Pain Relief Injections are tailored to treat a variety of chronic pain conditions. These injections can be a vital part of your pain management plan, offering relief for a range of issues, including:

Back PainKnee PainElbow PainShoulder PainHip Pain

Nerve Blocks

Chronic pain can drastically diminish your quality of life, impeding your ability to work, exercise, and enjoy daily activities. When standard treatments like over-the-counter medications and physical therapy are insufficient, nerve blocks offer a precise and powerful solution for pain management.

What is a Nerve Block?

Nerve blocks are medical procedures that deliver medication directly to targeted nerves, interrupting pain signals to provide both immediate and long-lasting relief. Unlike oral medications, nerve blocks address pain at its source, offering relief that can significantly enhance daily function and well-being.

Common Types of Nerve Blocks

• Medial Branch Nerve Block: Targets nerves that supply the facet joints in the spine to alleviate back pain.
• Selective Nerve Root Block: Focuses on specific nerve roots to relieve pain associated with conditions like herniated discs.
• Suprascapular Nerve Block/Rhizotomy: Used for chronic shoulder pain, providing relief by targeting the suprascapular nerve.
• Genicular Nerve Block/Rhizotomy: Addresses knee pain by blocking nerves that transmit pain signals from the knee joint.
• Celiac Plexus Block: Offers relief for abdominal pain, particularly in cases of chronic pancreatitis or cancer.
• Ganglion Impar Block: Targets pelvic pain by blocking the ganglion impar.
• Pudendal Nerve Block: Provides relief for pelvic pain by targeting the pudendal nerve.
• Intercostal Nerve Block: Alleviates pain in the rib cage area, often used for post-surgical pain.
• Occipital Nerve Block: Relieves headaches by targeting nerves in the back of the head.
• Sphenopalatine Block: Used for headaches, targeting the sphenopalatine ganglion.
• Supraorbital Nerve Block: Addresses forehead pain by blocking the supraorbital nerve.
• Auriculotemporal Nerve Block: Provides relief for facial pain by targeting the auriculotemporal nerve.
• Trigeminal Nerve Ganglion Block: Used for facial pain, particularly trigeminal neuralgia.
• Lumbar Sympathetic Block: Focuses on leg pain by blocking lumbar sympathetic nerves.
• Stellate Ganglion Block: Treats arm pain and some types of facial pain by blocking the stellate ganglion.

Benefits of Nerve Blocks

Nerve blocks provide several advantages for managing chronic pain:

• Targeted Relief: Precisely targets the source of pain, offering more effective relief compared to systemic medications.
• Quick Onset: Often provides immediate pain relief, allowing for rapid improvement in function.
• Minimally Invasive: Typically performed as outpatient procedures, requiring minimal recovery time.
• Long-Lasting Effects: Relief can last from weeks to months, depending on the block and condition treated.
• Reduced Medication Use: Can decrease the need for oral pain medications, minimizing potential side effects.

Conditions Treated with Nerve Blocks

At Interventional Pain & Spine Center, our nerve block procedures are tailored to manage a variety of chronic pain conditions, including:

Head PainNeck PainShoulder PainBack PainKnee PainHip PainHand/Wrist PainFoot/Ankle Pain

Nerve blocks can be an essential component of your pain management strategy, offering significant relief and improving your overall quality of life. If you're struggling with chronic pain, schedule a consultation with us to explore how nerve blocks can benefit you.

Radiofrequency Ablation

Chronic pain doesn’t just hurt—it affects your ability to work, sleep, move, and enjoy the life you deserve. At Interventional Pain & Spine Center, we specialize in advanced treatments that target the root of pain, not just the symptoms. One such treatment is Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)—a safe, effective, and minimally invasive procedure that can provide months of relief without relying on daily medications or invasive surgery.

What is Radiofrequency Ablation?

Radiofrequency ablation is a highly targeted pain relief procedure that uses heat generated by radio waves to disable specific sensory nerves responsible for sending pain signals. At IPSC, we use precision-guided technology— including fluoroscopy and real-time imaging—to treat the exact nerves involved in your discomfort, ensuring accuracy and safety throughout the process.

What Conditions Can Be Treated with RFA?

Our team may recommend radiofrequency ablation if you suffer from:

• Chronic low back or neck pain
• Sacroiliac joint dysfunction
• Post-traumatic spinal pain
• Persistent pain after spine or joint surgery
• Knee or hip pain from osteoarthritis

How the Procedure Works

At Interventional Pain & Spine Center, RFA is performed on-site in our modern interventional suite. The procedure typically involves:

1. Positioning and preparation
2. Precision targeting
3. Controlled heating
4. Quick recovery

How Long Does Relief Last?

Relief from RFA varies by individual but often lasts 6 months to over a year. Some patients experience pain relief for 18–24 months, especially when combined with lifestyle changes and physical therapy. If pain returns, the procedure can be safely repeated.

The IPSC Difference

At Interventional Pain & Spine Center, we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all treatments. Our approach to RFA is grounded in:

• Advanced diagnostics
• Board-certified expertise
• Patient-centered care
• Technology that matters

Is Radiofrequency Ablation Right for You?

If you're tired of taking pain medications, struggling with stiffness, or avoiding the activities you love, RFA may be a life-changing option. It’s particularly helpful for those who:

• Have already tried physical therapy, injections, or medications without long-term relief
• Are not candidates for surgery or prefer to avoid it
• Want a non-opioid, drug-free approach to managing chronic pain

Reclaim Your Life with Help from IPSC

You don’t have to live in pain—and you don’t have to face surgery to find relief. At Interventional Pain & Spine Center, we’re here to help you get back to doing the things you love with less pain and more confidence.

Medication Management

Chronic pain can take a toll on your quality of life, affecting your ability to work, move freely, and enjoy daily activities. At Interventional Pain & Spine Center, we understand that medications can provide temporary relief, but true healing requires addressing the root cause of pain. With medication management as part of our comprehensive approach, Dr. Ali and his team offer a balanced solution to support your long-term well-being.

What is Medication Management?

Medication management involves the strategic use of medications to alleviate pain while working to treat its underlying source. Rather than relying solely on medications to mask symptoms, Dr. Ali and his team integrate medication as one component of a broader pain management plan. This ensures temporary relief while prioritizing long-term treatments tailored to your specific condition. Medications are carefully monitored and adjusted to maximize effectiveness while minimizing potential side effects or dependency.

Benefits of this Approach

At Interventional Pain & Spine Center, our medication management process focuses on providing patients with relief and meaningful outcomes. Here are the key advantages:

• Not Medication-Reliant: Medications are used as a temporary aid, not the sole solution, ensuring a focus on lasting recovery.
• Addressing Root Causes: Dr. Ali’s expertise as a neurologist and pain specialist empowers patients to pursue treatment options like nerve blocks, physical therapy, or other procedural interventions that target the source of their pain.
• Safe and Monitored Use: Each patient’s medication use is closely supervised to reduce risks and avoid dependence.
• Comprehensive Care: By combining medication management with advanced treatments, patients benefit from an integrative care plan built for long-term success.

Neuromodulation for Pain Relief: Spinal Cord and Peripheral Nerve Stimulation

Chronic pain doesn’t just affect the body—it can take a toll on every part of your life. At Interventional Pain & Spine Center (IPSC), we understand that when pain becomes resistant to medications or traditional therapies, a more advanced solution is needed. Neuromodulation represents one of the most promising and innovative frontiers in pain management today, offering life-changing relief for patients who have tried everything else.

What Is Neuromodulation?

Neuromodulation refers to the use of implantable technologies that alter nerve activity to reduce pain. By delivering mild electrical impulses directly to the nervous system, these therapies can effectively block or override abnormal pain signals before they reach the brain. Unlike pain medications, neuromodulation targets the source of pain at the neural level—without the side effects or dependency concerns of opioids.

Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS)

Spinal cord stimulation is the most widely used form of neuromodulation. In this treatment, a small device—similar to a pacemaker—is implanted under the skin, typically near the lower back. Thin wires (called leads) are positioned in the epidural space near the spinal cord.

These leads deliver gentle electrical pulses that interfere with pain signals traveling through the spinal cord. Instead of pain, patients may feel a mild tingling sensation, or in newer systems, no sensation at all.

SCS is often recommended for patients with:

• Failed back surgery syndrome
• Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
• Chronic leg or arm pain (radiculopathy)
• Post-laminectomy syndrome
• Peripheral neuropathy

Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS)

While spinal cord stimulation targets the central nervous system, peripheral nerve stimulation focuses on nerves located outside the spine. PNS involves placing a tiny electrode near a specific peripheral nerve responsible for the pain. A compact pulse generator then delivers precise electrical impulses to that nerve, helping to calm overactive pain signals.

PNS is commonly used to treat:

• Occipital neuralgia (chronic headaches)
• Post-surgical pain (e.g., after knee or shoulder surgery)
• Nerve pain following trauma or injury
• Pain in the trunk or extremities

Benefits of Neuromodulation

Neuromodulation therapies offer a variety of benefits, including:

• Significant reduction in chronic pain
• Decreased reliance on opioid medications
• Improved sleep, mood, and function
• Reversible and adjustable therapy
• Outpatient or minimally invasive implantation procedures

What to Expect at IPSC

At IPSC, we take a personalized approach to neuromodulation. If you're a candidate for spinal cord or peripheral nerve stimulation, we begin with a temporary trial procedure. This allows you to test the therapy for several days to assess its effectiveness. If the trial is successful, a permanent system can be implanted in a short outpatient procedure.

Our board-certified specialists guide you through every step—from diagnostics to device programming and long-term follow-up. We use the latest technology and partner with leading device manufacturers to ensure you receive the most effective, customized care possible.

Is Neuromodulation Right for You?

If you've tried physical therapy, injections, medications, and even surgery without lasting relief, neuromodulation may be the next step. Ideal candidates are individuals with well-defined pain patterns who haven’t responded to conservative treatments and want a non-opioid, long-term solution.

Take Control of Your Pain

You don’t have to accept chronic pain as a way of life. With spinal cord and peripheral nerve stimulation, our team at Interventional Pain & Spine Center can help you get back to living fully.

At Interventional Pain & Spine Center, we recognize that no two patients experience pain in the same way. Dr. Ali and his team are committed to working with you to develop a personalized pain management plan designed to improve your quality of life and overall health. Medication management plays a supportive role, allowing you to regain function and comfort while effective, long-lasting interventions take shape.