Living with Pain is Not Living

  Medial branch nerves are the very small nerve branches that communicate pain caused by the facet joints in the spine. ​ These nerves do not control any muscles or sensation in the arms or legs. They are located along a bony groove in the low back and neck and over a bone in the mid back. The purpose of this procedure is to determine if the facet joints are painful. There is no other test which gives this information. CT Scans and MRI scans will not tell if the facet joints are painful. This test is only temporary, but if it shows the joints to be painful, a long term procedure (radio frequency lesioning) can be performed. ​ ​ Procedure Overview ​ The medial branch block injection is an outpatient procedure. The patient is placed on the x- ray table and positioned in such a way that the physician, using x-ray guidance, can best visualize the bony areas where the medial branch nerves are located. The skin is scrubbed with prep solution. Next, the physician numbs a small area o...

NEUROMODULATION Definition According to the International Neuromodulation Society, neuromodulation is defined as “the alteration of nerve activity through targeted delivery of an input, like electrical stimulation or chemical agents, to specific medicine sites within the body.” In other words, neuromodulation technology alters abnormal neural behaviour in the brain, spine, or peripheral nerves to relieve pain or restore normal function or bodily control. Nerve stimulations are typically administered with a variety of pharmaceutical agents, electrical signals, or other forms of energy. Why You May Need This Type of Treatment For generations, physicians were intrigued by the potential for electrical impulses within the body to produce therapeutic benefits. The era of neuromodulation began in the early 1960’s with the utilization of deep brain stimulation (DBS) to resolve chronic and defiant pain. It evolved to incorporate neural structure stimulation by the end of the last decade. Neur...

RADIO FREQUENCY ABLATION Radio Frequency Ablation (RFA) is a new non-surgical technique that helps to control pain. In this procedure, radio waves are used to produce heat to the pain-causing nerve tissues that interrupt the pain-causing signals from going to the brain. Radiofrequency ablation provides long-lasting relief to the patients having pain in the neck, chronic pain, and arthritic joints. Radio frequency ablation is used when the patient cannot undergo surgery. This is a safe and drug-free procedure; over 70% of the patients felt relief after the treatment. Apart from treating the pain caused by arthritis, radio frequency ablation is proven effective in destroying the cancerous cells without affecting the normal healthy cells. Why Someone May Need to Get This Treatment Radio frequency ablations are for patients who suffer from chronic pains in their lower back and neck. It is also used to cure the tumors in bones, lungs and liver. The frequency used in treatment ranges from 35...

WHAT IS KYPHOPLASTY? Any kind of fracture in a bone can be painful for the human body. If the affected bone or joint becomes sensitive from injury, even minor movements can be inhibited. Especially in the case of a break or compression fracture in your vertebra, you cannot move freely without pain. The slight break in your bones can result in bone fragments rubbing together while moving or performing any regular activity. Kyphoplasty is a popular recommended procedure to elicit pain relief from compression fractures. If you are noticing any pain or have experienced a bone fracture, it’s in your best interest to consult a professional, such as Northern Arizona Spine and Pain for an evaluation and discussion of various treatment options. With a professional team of pain management therapists, Northern Arizona Spine and Pain works hard for the cure of chronic pain. What is Kyphoplasty? Kyphoplasty, also known as Vertebroplasty, is a surgical treatment intended to augment the vertebra to ...

VERTIFLEX PROCEDURE What is the Vertiflex Procedure? Vertiflex Procedure is a surgical treatment for moderate cases of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis. It is a minimally invasive and stand-alone implant that is placed inside the spine to help prevent reduction of the space when standing or walking. This type of treatment is also known as an interspinous process decompression. It provides relief by lifting pressure off the nerves to alleviate leg and back pain symptoms that often accompany the condition. The spacer is a device that gives a durable, long-term relief of complaints of intermittent neurogenic claudication for individuals having moderate issue of lumbar spinal stenosis. The device or spacer is typically made of titanium alloy. Developed with patient safety and comfort in mind, this FDA-approved, outpatient treatment aims to give those with lumbar spinal stenosis the freedom to get on with their daily lives, as it offers a significant reduction in symptoms and improves physical func...

SACROILIAC JOINT BLOCK Sacroiliac joint block is also known as sacroiliac joint injections. They are injections of local anesthetic and a steroid medication used to treat or diagnose sciatica symptoms and low back pain linked with sacroiliac joint dysfunction. Where Is The Sacroiliac Joint? It is situated next to your spinal cord. It connects the sacrum (the large triangular bone at the base of the spine) with the hip bones on both sides. Any inflammation or infection at this joint will cause pain. When Is This Procedure Required? Sacroiliac joint block helps diagnose and treat lower back pain. Sometimes, the two may be separated, and a patient may undergo a diagnostic injection and then a therapeutic injection. Other times, the two injections are combined. If you experience pain in your sacroiliac joint(s), it means you need this procedure for: 1. Diagnosis: Diagnostic injections are used to detect the specific structural abnormality that is causing the symptoms of...