Living with Pain is Not Living

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...

Medial Branch Block A medial branch block is an injection of a strong local anaesthetic on the medial branch nerves that supply the facet joints, and is often used as part of a two-step diagnostic process. If the patient experiences the appropriate amount of pain relief after the injection, then the facet joint is determined to be the primary source of pain and the patient can then be considered a candidate for a subsequent treatment that will provide longer term pain relief. The facet joints, also known as the zygapophysial joints, are part of the framework of the spine. They are small projections from one vertebra meeting with similar bony projections from the vertebra above or below. Sometimes, due to a variety of acute and chronic conditions, the facet joints can become inflamed. For lower back (lumbar) facet joints, the pattern of pain is usually an achiness in the low back, radiating across the lower back and slightly down the back of the buttocks and upper thighs. Usually, stand...

Why You Need an Osteoarthritis Program for Knee and Shoulder Pain by Robert J Brownsberger, MD; Dorian Lange PharmD, of Northern Arizona Pain Institutes A revolutionary new, nonsurgical treatment called viscosupplementation therapy is providing hope and relief for many knee- and shoulder-pain sufferers.  Viscosupplementation therapy is a procedure involving the injection of gel-like substances (hyaluronates) into a joint to supplement the viscous properties of synovial fluid. This procedure has been shown to be 86 percent successful in alleviating pain associated with osteoarthritis and is covered by most major medical insurance providers and Medicare.   Viscosupplementation therapy with hyaluronic acid (Supartz) for osteoarthritis of the shoulder. We offer this minimally invasive procedure that requires no surgery, can provide immediate results, and has little-to-no recovery time. Why Our Program is So Successful At our clinic, we offer a unique approa...