The Welcome Back Centre team has extensive experience in pain management. We provide consultation for medication and nutritional supplements, therapy for chronic pain patients, as well as a variety of diagnostic and pain management procedures. These procedures include facet joint blocks, sacroiliac joint blocks, epidural cortisone injections, trigger point injections and prolotherapy. Procedures are performed under fluoroscopic (x-ray) guidance when necessary.
Facet Joint Blocks
The facet joints are the movable joints of the spine that connect one vertebra with another allowing for flexibility in the spine. Injury or arthritis can cause inflammation of these joints, resulting in pain and stiffness. Facet joint pain often radiates from the injured joint to the head, shoulders, buttocks and legs. This pain can often be treated by steroid injections into the facet joint(s).
Sacroiliac Joint Blocks
Sacroiliac (SI) joints are commonly known as the hip joints. SI joint pathology is typically caused by inflammation and can be characterized by lower back pain. This pain can range in intensity and radiate into the groin, abdomen, hip, leg and buttocks. Treatment can be obtained through an injection of time-released cortisone to reduce inflammation with the goal of long-term pain relief.
Epidural Cortisone Injections
The epidural space is the space between the outermost membrane covering the spinal cord (the dura) and the wall of the spinal canal. Epidural steroid injections typically treat pain that is caused by the compression or irritation of spinal nerve roots, commonly referred to as a “pinched nerve”. During this approach, steroid medication is injected around the dura sac where they travel up and down the epidural space coating the spinal nerves and facet joints. This allows for relief of pain and inflammation associated with common conditions such as spinal stenosis, disc herniation, or degenerative disc disease.
Trigger Point Injections
Trigger points are painful knots of muscle that form when muscles fail to relax. Trigger points can also irritate surrounding nerves leading to referred pain. Injections of local anesthetic into the trigger points are an effective mode of treatment. These injections inactivate the trigger point to alleviate pain. This allows manual therapy to resolve the trigger point (massage therapy or physiotherapy).
Prolotherapy
Prolotherapy is a natural technique for pain management used to treat injury to tendons and ligaments. This technique stimulates an inflammatory response through the injection of a mild irritant solution known as a proliferant. The inflammatory response then ʻturns onʼ the healing process resulting in the growth of new ligament and tendon tissue at the site of injection.