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One Brooklyn Health’s Pain Management and Rehabilitation Center is part of a well known and one of the oldest Rehabilitation Institutions in the US. Patients suffering from acute and chronic painful conditions can take advantage of a comprehensive approach to treating pain, from a conservative to a more advanced interventional approach including injections or spinal cord stimulators. With Physical/ Occupational Therapy Services our pain management practitioners can treat a wide variety of conditions, including
neck and back pain, cancer pain, joint pain and pain resulting from injuries. While being aware that pain may not always be cured despite the best available treatment, the ultimate goal of our Pain Management practice is to work together with the patient to tailor an effective treatment plan to manage pain, restore function and improve quality of life.
One Brooklyn Health’s Pain Management and Integrative Medicine specialists are trained and skilled to treat a wide spectrum of pain conditions, including the following:
Post Laminectomy Syndrome (Failed Back Syndrome). Pain that may persist or occur after spine surgery
Sacroiliac Joint Pain. Pain in the lower back and buttocks caused by a derangement of the joints between the spine and the pelvic bones.
Spinal Stenosis. Narrowing of the spinal canal results in pain or weakness in the lower back or legs.
Spondylolysis & Vertebral Fracture. Fracture of a vertebra in the lower back, causing local pain in the spine.
Spondylolisthesis. Displacement of a vertebra that can cause nerve impingement with pain, numbness or weakness in a certain body part.
One Brooklyn Health’s Pain Management and Integrative Medicine practice offers a wide range of diagnostic services and traditional and complementary therapies which include the following:
- A Nerve Conduction Study (NCS) - a test which uses small electrical shocks to a particular nerve and recorded by an electrode attached to the skin. It helps the physician to determine the health state of the nerve.
- An Electromyography (EMG) - a test which uses a small needle that is inserted in the muscle to measure and record its electrical activity. It helps the physician to evaluate the condition of muscles, nerves and the connection between the nerves and muscles.
This test can be very helpful in identifying the source of the pain, whether being an injury closer to the spine, or more to the periphery.
Our approach to treating pain begins with using a wide variety of conservative and complementary treatment options — including physical and occupational therapy, modalities such as heat, cold, ultrasound and transcutaneous electrical stimulation, as well as referrals to acupuncture, gua sha, yoga, tai chi or hypnotherapy — before considering medications, injections or other surgical interventions.
Heat modalities (moist hot packs, paraffin, fluidotherapy, hydrotherapy, therapeutic ultrasound, etc), cold modalities (cold packs, ice massage, vapocoolant sprays, contrast baths, etc), electrotherapy (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation or neuromuscular electrical stimulation), massage are some of the treatment modalities offered by our certified therapists, to alleviate pain.
Our experienced therapists on site, work with the patient one to one to improve strength, balance, coordination, range of motion, gait, or stair navigation, and help identify effective ways to perform activities of daily living in the setting of the patient’s physical limitations and tolerance.
There are a myriad of interventional procedures used to treat pain conditions. Many of these techniques are performed under Ultrasound or X-Ray guidance, which helps the physician deliver the therapy to the exact source of the pain.
Our Pain Management and Integrative Medicine practice is pleased to provide a range of interventional treatments, including the following.
An Epidural Steroid Injection is a minimally invasive procedure performed under live X-Ray guidance that is used to treat pain in the neck, shoulders, arms, upper and lower back, buttocks, and legs. A variety of conditions such as herniated disc, degenerative disc disease and arthritis can cause a narrowing of the openings through which nerves exit the spine, which results in irritation of the nerves. By injecting low doses of corticosteroids (potent anti-inflammatory pain medications) directly to the source of the pain (instead of much larger oral or intravenous doses) this inflammation can be decreased, providing pain relief.
These procedures take a few minutes to perform and may be done under either local anesthesia or comfortable sedation.
Medial Branch Blocks and Facet Joint Injections are minimally invasive procedures performed via X-Ray guidance used to diagnose and treat pain from the small joints of the spine (facet joints). When these joints are affected by acute injuries or by chronic conditions such as arthritis, one can experience pain in the neck, upper and lower back or buttocks. By injecting low doses of long-lasting corticosteroids and local anesthetics directly to the source of the pain the discomfort may be alleviated.
These procedures take a few minutes to perform and may be done either under local anesthesia or comfortable sedation.
Radiofrequency Nerve Ablation is a minimally invasive procedure performed via X-Ray guidance to treat back and neck pain using controlled heat to temporarily disable nerves responsible for pain. The procedure involves inserting a specialized needle with a heated tip near the problematic nerve, where the heat interrupts the nerve's ability to send pain signals.
Joint injections are minimally invasive procedures performed either via X-Ray or Ultrasound guidance to treat pain from a variety of causes, including osteoarthritis. Medications such as corticosteroids, local anesthetics, or hyaluronan (i.e. Synvisc, Hyalgan, etc.) are injected directly into the joint to provide pain relief.
This office-based procedure takes about 10 minutes to perform.
Occipital Nerve Blocks are safe, office-based procedures used to treat various types of headaches, including migraines. Local anesthetic with or without a small dose of corticosteroid is used in this injection, which is administered to the back of the head near the greater and lesser occipital nerves.
· The injection of medication into a painful muscle or joint is used to relieve discomfort associated with a wide range of conditions, from neck pain to tennis elbow. By using an ultrasound machine, the physician is able to visualize in real time the exact source of pain and guide the needle used for injection right to the target. The medication is usually a local anesthetic or a low dose of steroid.
Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a reversible, state-of-the-art treatment for alleviating chronic pain in the extremities or back, omitting the use of major surgery or medications, which is usually reserved for patients who have not responded to other treatments. SCS involves the implantation of thin flexible wires under the skin, along with a small stimulator device. The stimulator device can be programmed to deliver electrical energy that change the unpleasant perception of pain into a benign background tingling.
SCS is typically considered after more conservative treatments—such as injections and medications—prove ineffective. It is most often used to treat Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (also called Post Laminectomy Syndrome), which is a pain condition that can develop after spine surgery, as well as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, which occurs when the body fails to heal properly after an injury.