According to the National Scoliosis Foundation, approximately 7 million people in the United States are suffering from scoliosis.
Scoliosis is a condition that affects the structure of the spine and causes it to curve or twist to the side. The abnormal twist or curve of the spine pulls your ribcage out of its normal position and strains the muscles of the back, causing severe back pain, numbness, and tingling sensation. The pain associated with scoliosis can be excruciating.
Let’s talk about some common treatment options that can significantly reduce the pain associated with scoliosis, how these treatments work, and where you can go in Melbourne, FL, to get these treatments.
Spinal Injection Therapy
The injections around the nerves and spinal joints are administered as a part of the scoliosis pain management program. The injections can significantly combat the pain associated with scoliosis.
Common injection therapies for scoliosis include:
- Image Guided Injections – These spinal injections are administered using imaging techniques like ultrasound or fluoroscopy, allowing your interventional pain management doctor to see the needle while injecting the medications. The most commonly injected medication is cortisone which reduces pain and inflammation for several months.
Image-guided injections also include nerve block injections which involve the delivery of an anesthetic agent and a corticosteroid in the spine. The medications work by suppressing/numbing the nerve that sends pain signals to the brain.
- Trigger Point Injections – The muscle spasm associated with scoliosis can be managed with the trigger point injection. During the injection, a combination of medications, particularly corticosteroids and anesthetics like lidocaine, is injected into the tight knot (trigger point) of your muscles. Lidocaine numbs the nerves and stops them from sending pain signals to the brain, while cortisone reduces inflammation.
Radiofrequency Ablation
Also known as radiofrequency neurotomy or rhizotomy, radiofrequency ablation uses radio waves to heat and destroy the nerve endings of the spine associated with pain. In this minimally invasive procedure, special needles are used that apply electromagnetic current to the targeted area to destroy the nerve endings.
Spinal Cord Stimulation
The spinal cord stimulation uses technology that directly acts on the targeted area. During the therapy, an implanted device called a spinal cord stimulator sends a low level of electric current waves directly into the pain site.
The mechanism behind the spinal cord stimulator is unknown yet, but experts assume that the stimulator target multiple muscle groups directly from the spine and alters how the brain senses pain.
Vertiflex Procedure
This procedure treats spinal stenosis associated with scoliosis. During the procedure, a spacer is inserted between the affected level of your spine with the help of fluoroscopy. The spacer decompresses the nerves, thereby reducing the pain.
Scoliosis Pain Treatment Near Me in Melbourne, FL
If you are suffering from persistent back pain due to scoliosis and seek a lasting solution, don’t hesitate to visit us at Central Florida Spine and Pain today. We have a team of highly trained and experienced interventional pain management providers that offer an extensive range of pain management therapies to relieve your back pain.
To make a consultation with our providers, call us today at (321) 802-5021 or schedule a consultation with us online.
