Pain is actually a warning pointing us towards some injury or disease EG: fracture abcess, infection. However, if such pain persists even after injury heals or over a prolonged period without any obvious cause, it indicates damage or disease of nervous system. Such pain is called CHRONIC PAIN.
It is one of the most underestimated health care problems in the world today.

People with chronic pain have a heightened sensitivity to environment. Persistent pain over a long time causes reduced tolerance to pain, increase in the intensity of pain, also pain sensation becomes disproportionate & spreads to unaffected areas. Other signs include burning, tingling, numbness in affected areas, tense muscles, limited mobility, lack of energy & appetite.

If left untreated, such pain leads to a vicious cycle of mood swings, depression, negative thinking, anxiety, stress, lack of energy & enthusiasm impairing your daily living, professional & personal relationships and often financial losses due to absenteeism. In order to break this cycle it is important to treat such pain at the earliest. PAIN MANAGEMENT (ALGOLOGY) is a new emerging speciality in medicine that deals specifically with these types of pain.

• Back pain with/without leg pain (slip disc, sciatica, spinal arthritis, buttock pain)
• Cervical spondylosis with neck & hand pain
• Headaches, migraine, atypical facial pain
• Cancer pain
• Post operative and failed spine surgery related pain
• Arthritis
• Myofascial pain syndromes (generalised body pain with especially muscle pain)
• Various neuropathies and neuralgias (secondary to diabetes, infection, surgery, peripheral vascular disease)

Never Blocks:

These are specialized injections given around nerve roots near the spine under live x-ray &/or sonography guid- ance in the operating theatre. They target your particular nerves & help by reducing irritation & inflammation of the damaged nerves to relieve pain.

Advanced Treatmenmts:

Radiofrequency ablation, laser & hydrodiscectomy for slip disc, vertebroplasty for fracture vertebra, intrathecal pumps for cancer pain & spinal cord stimulators for refractory pain.

Minor Blocks:

Intraarticular injections (to be given within joint space) in cases of arthritis, trigger point injections for myofascial pain to relieve muscle spasm & calm peripherally overactive nerves.

Advantages:

• These are percutaneous techniques (without any cut or incision of skin) with targeted delivery of drugs to the painful area.
• They have minimal to no adverse effects on any body systems.
• They can be easily repeated without any prolonged side effects or complications.
• Do not require hospitalization.
• Good alternatives for people who cannot undergo or are unwilling to undergo aggressive surgical treatment.

Medications:

Medications that act specifically on your pain conducting nerves (& not pain killers) to reverse the altered chemical changes in them. In cases of severe pain, opioid medications either orally or by other delivery modes.

Physical Therapy:

Physical Therapy targeted to strengthen the spine, muscles & tissues.

Behavior Therapy:

Behavior Therapy & lifestyle modifications to overcome emotional aspects and stressful conditions.