Interventional procedures aim to alleviate the pain, so that the sufferers can do more activities;
the aim is to get rid of the "pain -> spasm -> pain" vicious cycle.
They include:
* Trigger point injections for myofascial pain, Scar infiltration for post-surgical pain. * Botulinium toxin injection for migraine. * Nerve blocks done peripherally - eg suprascapular block, ilioinguinal nerve block, etc. * Facet joint median nerve block injection for mechanical low back pain. * Epidural blocks by various routes including translaminar, transforaminal and caudal routes. * Nerve root blocks. * Sacro-iliac joint blocks. * Radiofrequency denervation of the facet joint for long-term pain relief. * Pulsed radiofrequency ablation eg dorsal root ganglion. * Pulsed radiofrequency of trigger points and peripheral nerves. * Intravenous lignocaine infusions for widespread chronic pain. * Intravenous regional blocks under tourniquet.
The main aim of the injections is to break the pain cycle and to improve the activities. Amongst other side-effects, injections can also cause flare-up or worsening of pain temporarily.
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Dr Thanthullu Vasu MBBS MD DNB FRCA Dip Pain Mgt FFPMRCA FIPP