Back pain, regardless of whether it is acute or chronic, can be really frustrating. It can stop you from living a normal personal and professional life. Acute back pain may be caused due to an injury or trauma to the spine. If left untreated, it may turn into chronic pain. Pain Management doctors at San Antonio say that chronic back pain may be caused due to

Facet Joint Pain

Disc Bulging and Herniation

Spinal Arthritis

Vertebral or Spinal Compression Fracture

Thanks to modern technology and developments in medicine, several new treatments are available to relieve back pain. San Antonio pain management clinic uses the most modern treatments customized to be the most effective for your pain condition.

Facet Joint Injection
Facet joints are small joints that provide stability and facilitate at each section of the spine. Stress, injury or arthritis can cause facet syndrome causing severe pain in the part of back where the affected joint is located. Pain doctors San Antonio use facet joint injections can be used for Cervical (upper spine), Thoracic (middle Spine), Lumbar (Lower spine) facet joints. An anesthetic (numbing agent), sometimes along with steroid or medication is injected into the facet joint to anesthetize it and block pain.

Epidural Steroid Injection
A steroid is injected into the epidural space around the spine to provide relief from pain-causing inflammation in the area. Inflammation may be caused due to a pinched nerve from disc herniation or compression of a spinal nerve. Epidural steroid injection gives immediate pain relief. At San Antonio pain management, many patients have been able to avoid back surgery with epidural injections.

Kyphoplasty and Vertebroplasty
Both these are pain treatments in cases of Spinal or Vertebral Compression Fractures (VCF). Both procedures involve surgical replacement of cementing material around the fractured vertebra. Board certified pain management experts at San Antonio perform this minimally invasive procedure under X-ray guidance. A pain relief success rate of over 90 percent has been seen with these treatments.

Radiofrequency Ablation
Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) or neurotomy is pain treatment that uses radio waves to destroy nerve endings of nerves that transmit pain signals to the brain. Remarkable results have been seen with this treatment in more than 80 percent cases of back and neck arthritis at San Antonio Pain Management Clinic. The pain relief lasts for about 15 months on an average and can be repeated thereafter.