At Kentucky Pain Associates (KPA), we provide top quality care to our patients without over treating them.
FOR ACUTE PAIN, KPA PROVIDES:
- Medical Evaluations
- Medications prescribed as needed
- Trigger point injection therapy as needed (see description below)
- Referrals to specialists as requested by referral sources
Trigger Point Injections (TPI) are used to treat extremely painful and tender areas of muscle. Normal muscle contracts and relaxes when it is active. A Trigger Point is a discrete knot or tight, ropy band of muscle that forms when muscles fail to relax. The knot often can be felt under the skin and may twitch involuntarily when touched (jump sign). A small needle is inserted into the trigger point and a local anesthetic (e.g. Marcaine, Lidocaine, Procaine, Bupivacaine) or anti-inflammatory is injected. Insertion of the needle inactivates the trigger point and thus alleviates pain. Additional treatment may be needed to achieve sustained relief.
FOR CHRONIC PAIN, KPA PROVIDES:
A variety of pain management procedures such as cervical and lumbar epidurals, various nerve blocks, occipital nerve blocks (for headaches), joint injections, radio frequency ablation and more. KPA has installed a C-Arm to provide fluoroscopic guidance to help us perform the Chronic Pain Procedures listed below for injured patients.
Painful Conditions and/or Injuries that may be treatable
If the patient exhibits any of the following conditions and/or specific injuries caused by or exacerbated by an accident, they may benefit from the pain management procedures listed below.
- Spinal Stenosis
- Herniated Disc
- Bulging Disc
- Degenerative Disc Disease
- Annular Tear
- Cervical Radiculopathy
- Lumbar Radiculopathy (Sciatica)
- Facet Joint Syndrome
- Migraines
Available Pain Management Procedures
Cervical & Lumbar Epidurals: Medication is injected into the patient’s neck and/or lower back near the spine. The injection(s) help find the source of their pain and relieve the patient’s pain and soreness.
Facet Joint Injections: Medication is injected into certain facet joints in the neck or back. The injection can help our doctor find problem joints and relieve your patient’s pain.
Radio Frequency Ablation: Radiofrequency ablation (or RFA) is a procedure used to reduce pain. An electrical current produced by a radio wave is used to heat up a small area of nerve tissue, thereby decreasing pain signals from that specific area. RFA can be used to help patients with chronic (long-lasting) low-back and neck pain and pain related to the degeneration of joints from arthritis.
Joint Injections: An intra-articular injection is a procedure where medication is injected into the joint space for the purpose of relieving joint pain. An intra-articular injection is typically given when a joint with localized pain (acute or chronic) has not responded to or stops responding to oral pain medication, oral anti-inflammatory medication, or other conservative treatment options.
Medial Branch Blocks: This treatment uses heat, cold, or chemicals to destroy the nerves near a problem joint. This keeps some pain messages from traveling to the brain, and helps relieve your clients’ symptoms.
Sacra-iliac Joint Injection: A Sacra-iliac (SI) joint injection is an injection of local anesthetic and steroid anti-inflammatory around the joint between the base of the spine and the hip bones. Injecting local anesthetic and steroid anti-inflammatory around these joints can help decrease swelling and inflammation inside the joints. This may help reduce pain and up the muscles in the back and buttocks/hips. It may also improve the movement of your back and hips/legs. Sometimes, it may also be used to reduce muscle spasm in the back.
Occipital Nerve Blocks: Migraine is a painful neurological condition that affects approximately 12 percent of the population. Four percent of the population suffers from chronic migraines. Occipital nerve blocks (ONBs) involve injecting an anesthetic into the occipital nerve, which is located in the back of the head. A 2008 study published in a 2008 issue of the journal “Headache”, found that 64 percent of patients had their migraine pain lessen in five minutes after the injection.
