According to the Arthritis Foundation, more than 50 million people – and 300,000 children – suffer from some type of arthritis, making it an extremely common (yet misunderstood) affliction.
Many people believe "arthritis" to be a singular disease; it's not. There are actually more than 100 types of arthritis and related conditions, with common symptoms including swelling, stiffness, pain, and decreased range of motion. Some of the types of arthritis that afflict the patients that come through our door include:
- Degenerative Arthritis
- Inflammatory Arthritis
- Infectious Arthritis
- Metabolic Arthritis
Arthritis Treatment Options Available in Louisiana
Sufferers of arthritis have several options to choose from, with some options likely proving to be more effective than others, depending on your specific case.
And while joint surgery and medication are two of these options, here at Southern Pain and Neurological of Louisiana, two treatment options we tend to focus on include joint pain injections and radiofrequency.
Joint Pain Injections for Sufferers of Arthritis
IF we deem that joint pain injections are a viable treatment method, we'll first place a numbing medicine directly into your inflamed joint. This will provide a level of relief that will help us either confirm or rule out that the joint is the actual source of your pain. Following this numbing medicine, this should help provide longer-term relief.
These injections aren't designed to provide eternal relief, and factors such as overall patient health and the extent of inflammation will dictate how long the shot will last. But in many instances with out patients suffering from acute inflammation, a single injection ca provide relief for up to a year, if not longer.
Why This Approach May Not Work for You
These anti-inflammatory injections reduce irritation cause by bone interaction with bone (a side effect of the degradation of cartilage). For some patients, however, their disease is too far advanced to respond to this approach.
Also, in certain instances, it can be difficult to locate the actual joint space (such as in a bulky knee). However, here at Southern Pain and Neurological, we emply the use of an ultrasound to guide us.
Radiofrequency of Fact Nerves to Treat Chronic Pain Suffered by Patients With Arthritis
One of the causes of chronic pain can be due to arthritis in the small joints of the spine, known as "facet joints". These facet joints are located near the back of the vertebra.
Chronic pain sufferers who come to our offices can experience relief for up to a year at a time with the use of radiofrequency ablation. It begins with a consultation with our staff, so that we can better understand your specific pain pattern. We'll then perform an examination and review all relevant x-rays and medical records. Following this, our team will make a recommendation for testing to determine where the pain is coming from. Through the use of a diagnostic injection, we'll block the pain impulses to pinpoint the source. Our goal is to identify all the nerves responsible for the chronic pain.
Once the patient and our team have found the right combination of nerves associated with the pain, the next step is to ablate the nerve. If the painful facet was identified using a local anesthetic block, but only short term relief is expected, we may suggest radiofrequency ablation.
Suffer From Arthritis or Chronic Pain?
The team here at Southern Pain and Neurological approaches a patient's pain from every side impacted – from physical to mental and emotional, this approach allows us to develop comprehensive pain relief plans that focus on long-term success and a better quality of life. Learn more by contacting us today.