Anatomy of the Spine – The spinal column is the body’s main support structure. Its thirty-three bones, called vertebrae, are divided into five regions: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral and coccygeal.
Cervical Radiculopathy – This condition is an irritation or compression of one or more nerve roots in the cervical spine. Because these nerves travel to the shoulders, arms and hands, an injury in the cervical spine can cause symptoms in these areas. Cervical radiculopathy may result from a variety of problems with the bones and tissues of the cervical spinal column.
Cluster Headaches – This condition is a neurological problem that results in periodic episodes of intense pain. Cluster headaches are one of the most painful types of headaches. They often strike in cyclical patterns. The person will have frequent bouts of cluster headaches, and then the headaches will stop completely for a period of time.
Coccydynia – This condition is an inflammation of the tip of the tailbone, called the coccyx. It causes pain and tenderness between the buttocks.
Compression Fractures of the Spine – This type of fracture is a collapse of the vertebral bone that can affect one or more vertebra. It can result in a severe deformity of the spinal column. Compression fractures may affect any of the vertebrae, but most commonly occur in the lower thoracic and upper lumbar regions.
Degenerative Disc Disease – This condition is a weakening of one or more vertebral discs, which normally act as a cushion between the vertebrae. This condition can develop as a natural part of the aging process, but it may also result from injury to the back.
Facet Joint Syndrome – This condition is a deterioration of the facet joints, which help stabilize the spine and limit excessive motion. The facet joints are lined with cartilage and are surrounded by a lubricating capsule that enables the vertebrae to bend and twist.
Herniated Discs – A herniated disc is a common injury that can affect any part of the spine. A herniated disc can cause severe pain and other problems in the arms or legs.
Lumbar Radiculopathy (Sciatica) – This condition is an irritation or compression of one or more nerve roots in the lumbar spine. Because these nerves travel to the hips, buttocks, legs and feet, an injury in the lumbar spine can cause symptoms in these areas. Sciatica may result from a variety of problems with the bones and tissues of the lumbar spinal column.
Migraine Headaches – A migraine is an intense, throbbing headache that may be accompanied by nausea or dizziness. A migraine can last from hours to days.
Scoliosis – This condition is an abnormal curvature of the spine. It most often develops in early childhood, just before a child reaches puberty.
Spinal Stenosis (Cervical) – This condition is a narrowing of the spinal canal that results from the degeneration of bones, discs, or joints in the cervical spine.
Tension Headaches – This condition causes a dull, tightening pain or pressure around the head, like a band squeezing the temples. Tension headaches are often triggered by stress, poor posture or muscle strain in the neck and shoulders.
Thoracic Outlet Syndrome – This condition occurs when the nerves or blood vessels between the collarbone and the first rib become compressed. It can cause pain, numbness or tingling in the neck, shoulder, arm and hand, sometimes with weakness or a change in hand color.
Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN) – This condition causes sudden, severe, shock-like facial pain along the trigeminal nerve, which carries sensation from the face to the brain. Even light touches to the face can trigger intense bursts of pain, usually on one side.
Where Lower Back Pain Begins – Lower back pain can begin in many structures of the lumbar spine: the discs that cushion the vertebrae, the facet joints that connect them, the nerves that branch out to the legs, or the muscles and ligaments that support the spine. Identifying which structure is the source of the pain guides the right treatment.
Whiplash (Cervical Accelerateion-Decelerateion Syndrome) – This condition is accelerated by acceleratioin or decelration injury which leads to pain mostly seen in the neck.
Procedures & Treatments
These procedures are performed under imaging guidance, either in our clinic or at a nearby surgery center. Ask us which option is right for you.
Facet Joint & Medial Branch Injections
- Facet Joint Injections — steroid and anesthetic injected into a spinal facet joint to diagnose and relieve arthritis-related neck or back pain.
- Medial Branch Block — anesthetic placed on the tiny nerves that supply the facet joints, used to confirm facet pain before longer-lasting treatment.
- Costovertebral Joint Injection — injection into the joint where a rib meets the spine to relieve rib and upper-back pain.
Radiofrequency Neurotomy (Ablation)
- Cervical Facet Radiofrequency Neurotomy — precise heat applied to the nerves of the neck facet joints for longer-lasting neck pain relief.
- Thoracic Facet Radiofrequency Neurotomy — the same technique used in the mid-back to relieve thoracic facet pain.
- Lumbar Radiofrequency Neurotomy — the same technique used in the low back to relieve facet-mediated back pain.
Epidural Steroid Injections
- Cervical Epidural Steroid Injection — anti-inflammatory medication delivered into the epidural space of the neck to relieve neck and arm pain.
- Thoracic Epidural Steroid Injection — the same approach in the mid-back for thoracic pain and radiculopathy.
- Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injection — the same approach in the low back for sciatica and leg pain.
- Caudal Epidural Steroid Injection — an epidural injection given through an opening near the tailbone for lower-back and leg pain.
Nerve Root & Transforaminal Injections
- Cervical Selective Nerve Root Block — a targeted injection around a specific nerve root in the neck to diagnose and treat arm pain.
- Lumbar Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injection — steroid delivered through the bony opening beside an inflamed nerve root to treat leg pain.
Spinal Cord Stimulation
- Spinal Cord Stimulation — a system of thin leads placed in the epidural space that delivers mild electrical pulses to mask pain signals.
- Spinal Cord Stimulator Implant — permanent implantation of the device after a successful trial, with a small battery placed under the skin.
- Spinal Cord Stimulator Implant (Trial) — a temporary, removable trial of stimulation to test whether the therapy relieves your pain.
Kyphoplasty & Vertebroplasty
- Kyphoplasty — a small balloon is inflated inside a compressed vertebra to restore height, then cement stabilizes the bone.
- Vertebroplasty — bone cement injected directly into a fractured vertebra to stabilize it and relieve pain.
Sympathetic Nerve Blocks
- Stellate Ganglion Block — anesthetic applied to a cluster of sympathetic nerves in the neck to relieve arm pain, CRPS and related conditions.
- Lumbar Sympathetic Block — the same approach in the low back for leg pain and CRPS.
- Celiac Plexus Block — a block of the nerves serving the abdominal organs, used for pancreatitis and cancer-related abdominal pain.
Sacroiliac Joint Injections
- Sacroiliac Joint Steroid Injection — steroid and anesthetic injected into the joint between the sacrum and hip bone to relieve low-back and buttock pain.
Learn more in our Education center, or explore other pain conditions.