People who suffer from chronic pain are fortunate in one way currently. Pain management doctors are becoming more and more popular and more trusted. The history of the medicine of pain management is not long. It was never a conversation of controlling pain for someone after surgery. Aside from dispensing pills upon pills, doctors were not very concerned with pain management. Now, there are doctors who specialize in it. This results in much better treatments for patients. Many of these treatments do not involve oral medication or surgery. What’s left you might ask? Injections. Pain management doctors in Hazlet love injections. Pain management doctors everywhere love minimally invasive treatments. Treatments like steroid injections, stem cell injections, and nerve blocks are all changing the lives of people who have been suffering from debilitating pain. Injections are less invasive and often, more effective than many intrusive solutions.

Steroid Injections are Popular with Pain Management Doctors in Hazlet

Many adults are familiar with oral steroids like Prednisone. Doctors prescribe it for a wide variety of reasons. As an injection, the effectiveness of it is enhanced. Patients with ailments like joint pain, arthritis, and pinched nerves all experience relief from steroid injections. Depending on the intended result, a steroid injection can be given a number of ways. Intramuscular is into the muscle, intra-articular is into the joint, intravenous is a bloodstream injection, and a spinal injection is called an epidural. The range of effects can last anywhere from a few hours to a few months. Results are almost exclusively temporary with an injection of this kind. However, in a few cases, after multiple treatments, some people do experience a pain-free life. One of the few drawbacks of steroid injections is that patients can only recieve injections a few times a year.

Regenerative Medicine is on the Rise

Rather than try to repeatedly treat a damaged tissue, regenerative medicine works to repair it. One example of regenerative medicine is stem cell injections. Stem cells are the building blocks of the body. They are the cells that all other things start from. This treatment uses these cells to replace diseased and damaged tissues. The results from stem cell therapy can take longer to kick in than steroid injections, but may also last longer. Many doctors harvest the stem cells from the patient themselves from the iliac crest. The doctor then injects these cells into the affected area. The hope is that the stem cells will promote regeneration and mending and damage. Through this process, the ultimate intention is pain relief.

Nerve Blocks are Used by All Pain Management Doctors in Hazlet

Some people may be familiar with or have experience with nerve blocks in relation to dentistry. However, pain management doctors use nerve blocks very effectively.

For one thing, a doctor can use a lumbar or cervical nerve block to alleviate discomfort and chronic pain in the neck, shoulders, and arms. The goal of a nerve block is to disrupt the pain signal on its way to the brain. With the signal blocked, the patient feels no pain.

Another helpful use of nerve blocks in pain management is as a diagnosis tool. A medial branch block, for instance, can help a doctor figure out if a specific facet joint is the cause of pain. If there is no pain relief after the injection, that site is not the source of pain. Once the doctor determines the painful joint, they can treat it appropriately.

Lastly, nerve blocks can be an anesthetic for smaller scale procedures like hand surgery. Dentistry, as we mentioned previously, is also an example of doctors using nerve blocks as a numbing agent for medical procedures.

Injections Work for Pain Management Doctors in Hazlet

Of all the minimally invasive treatment options, pain management doctors in Hazlet use injections because they work. The causes of chronic pain are varied. Whether it be an illness or injury, an injection can help. Some injections result in short-term relief and others last a bit longer. With caring, compassionate pain management doctors in Hazlet, like those at Progressive Pain Management , you’ll be on your way to a pain free life.