NEW JERSEY COPS ■ MAY 2014
TO YOUR HEALTH 77
GETTING ON YOUR NERVES FROM PAGE 75
pain management is to lower the amount of pain patients
experience to a tolerable level, thus allowing them to
reclaim their former lives with only slight discomfort. There
are two main ways that this is accomplished: medication
management and injections. Medication management
entails just that; narcotic pain medication administered to
mask the symptoms triggered by the spinal problem. Medication management, when used properly, can be very
effective. Patients should be made aware, however, of the
severe risk of addiction associated with taking narcotics.
The risk of addiction can be a strong deterrent for many
patients seeking relief. A secondary avenue that many
patients choose to pursue is spinal injections. Injections
come in many forms and can have a multitude of goals
associated with them ranging from diagnostics to overall
pain relief. Injections can reduce inflammation in tissue,
administer targeted pain medication and administer general relief to the spinal column. Relief from spinal injections
can range from a week all the way up to a year, depending
upon the injection and the success of the procedure. Most
often, spinal injections incorporate physical therapy and
other conservative care treatments to maximize the relief
for the patient.
Alternative practices
For patients seeking longer-term relief, many pain management physicians recommend Radio Frequency Ablations (RFAs). An RFA is done by burning the sensory nerve
that is causing the pain. By generating heat around the
nerve, its ability to transmit pain signals to the brain is
destroyed, thus ablating the nerve. To identify the nerve,
local anesthesia is injected to the surrounding tissue prior
to the RFA. If the local anesthesia injections provide temporary pain relief, then RFA is performed on the nerve that
responded well to the injections. RFAs can usually be done
at outpatient clinics, with the patient going home shortly
after completion of the procedure. The patient is awake during the procedure, so risks associated with general anesthesia are avoided. The major drawback for this procedure
is that nerves regenerate over time, ranging from six months
to two years, and will eventually cause a patient to experience pain again.
For patients who are looking for the relief from an RFA to
become permanent, a Rhizotomy should be considered.
Endoscopic Rhizotomy is a procedure very similar to an
RFA. Where an RFA burns the sensory nerve a Rhizotomy
cuts it, severing the nerve’s ability to transmit pain signals
to the brain. Unlike an RFA, a Rhizotomy will make it so the
nerve will never regenerate itself. The benefits of the Rhizotomy are highlighted by creating near-permanent pain relief
from conditions such as arthritis and sciatica. With any surgical procedure, patients should explore all options with
their surgeon thoroughly and understand all the risks
involved.
An answer to every problem
In most cases, back and neck pain cannot be avoided.
Aging, accidents, trauma, and general wear and tear on the
spine all come from everyday life. There are, however, things
that can be done to alleviate some of the pain that most
people experience. Injections, Radio Frequency Ablations,
and Rhizotomies are available for patients with these conditions. Not everyone is a candidate for surgery, nor wants
to even consider such an option. With these options available, patients can seek non-surgical relief options in confidence. d
Dr. Liu is a leader in Minimally Invasive Endoscopic Spine
Surgery, which has bridged the gap between interventional
orthopedic pain management and traditional spine surgery.
He has substantial experience in this rapidly developing field.
His reputation has attracted patients from all across U.S. and
other parts of the world.