The Evolution of Pain Management in Augusta GA
As technology has continued to become more advanced, the development of several new techniques has allowed for increases in the number of chronic pain treatment options available to patients. Patients with all types of neck or back pain, including patients who have had back surgery or other previous surgeries for pain, now have many options available for pain control.
“There are many patients who can benefit from pain management techniques,” says Dr. Epter. “Sciatic pain and spinal arthritis are both treatable conditions, and patients who have had previous back surgery also have excellent options for long-term pain control. Through these advances in technique and technology, we have also been very successful in identifying the source of a patient’s pain, which has often gone undetected for several months or years.”
According to Dr. Epter, the largest advancement in the field of pain management has been the development and use of fluoroscopy, which has allowed for the introduction of new interventional pain management procedures and increased safety and accuracy during procedures.
“With the application of fluoroscopy in the pain management field, physicians are now able to offer new procedures that were not performed 15 to 20 years ago, including transforaminal epidural steroid injections, catheter-guided epidural lysis of adhesions and many different types of radiofrequency procedures for joint pain and nerve pain,” says Dr. Epter. “Utilizing fluoroscopy, we have been able to enhance the safety and accuracy of treatment modalities.”
Great strides have also been made in the area of spinal cord stimulation. Rechargeable batteries have made it possible for patients to avoid additional surgical procedures, which were required with nonrechargeable batteries.
“The delivery of current to the spinal cord area and the manner in which it is delivered has changed tremendously due to recent technological advances,” says Dr. Epter. “In past years, when the battery discharged, surgery would have been required to replace the battery — sometimes in one to two years. Now, with rechargeable batteries, surgery should not be necessary for 10 years or more. Also, spinal cord stimulation is often provided now with the use of multiple leads allowing more chronic pain conditions to be treated. This type of stimulation did not exist 15 to 20 years ago.
To learn more about pain management in Augusta G and how we can help, contact us today.