Interventional Pain Specialist Q&A

Back pain, according to a number of recent studies, is the third most common reason to visit their doctor. Fortunately for those suffering from back pain, advancements in technology, especially in the diagnosis and treatment of back pain, have enhanced dramatically in recent years. One exciting subspecialty that has evolved is known as interventional spine medicine, which uses innovative, and minimally invasive techniques that allow a patient to feel and function better. Interventional spine medicine uses special imaging technology, along with minimally invasive procedures that not only accurately pinpoint the location of the pain, but the doctor is able to treat what is causing the pain at its source. In most situations this allows the patient to avoid everything that is involved in open surgery, by choosing a more conservative and far less invasive route. Though in some circumstances, open surgery cannot be avoided. 

Spinal surgery has traditionally been performed as open surgery, involving a long incision. Interventional spine medicine, on the other hand, requires much smaller incisions, and with that comes benefits, like causing less damage to surrounding ligaments and muscles, as well as:

– Less pain
– Less risk of infection
– Less loss of blood
– Faster recovery
– Less reliance on post-op pain medications

The doctors who work in interventional spine medicine take a holistic approach to patient care by creating a personalized treatment plan for each patient and engaging them in a thorough evaluation. A patient’s overall well-being is the goal, and this is best achieved by working synergistically with other medical treatments and disciplines. An example of this is how an interventional pain medicine doctor’s alleviating a patient’s pain in their lower back with an injection, may now allow them to take part in physical therapy, which in turn may further strengthen and rejuvenate the back and spine. Or perhaps a meeting with a psychologist to address how a patient’s chronic pain has had a significant emotional impact can help the healing process. Interventional pain doctors are devoted to the diagnosis and treatment of pain-related disorders and take a multidisciplinary approach. They utilize a team of healthcare professionals from several disciplines in order to create a complete treatment plan for the patient involving all aspects of care, from physical therapy to emotional therapy, and everything in between.

Pain management uses techniques based on science, and alternative healing to study the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of pain. A pain management doctor is trained to assess and treat sudden pain problems, like headaches and long-lasting chronic pain such as lower back pain, and using a mix of medication-based treatment and procedures can help stop the pain at its source. A pain medicine doctor focuses on the prevention of pain, and the evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation of people in pain by taking a broad approach in the treatment of pain disorders, ranging from pain as a symptom of disease to pain as the primary disease. A pain medicine doctor will develop a detailed and comprehensive treatment plan for each individual patient, taking into consideration the patients’ cultural contexts, as well as the special needs of pediatric and geriatric populations.

At InovoSpine in Houston, our highly trained, compassionate, and qualified team of doctors, and Certified Interventional Pain Specialists take your pain relief seriously, and we are proud to offer the most innovative and advanced methods of pain relief and pain management to our community. Contact our office, or visit our website for more information, or directions to InovoSpine. We serve patients from Houston TX, Hedwig Village TX, Meadows Place TX, Missouri City TX, Hunters Creek Village TX, Spring Valley Village TX and surrounding areas.