Interventional Pain Management

In the United States, it’s estimated that the total direct and indirect cost of chronic pain is $294 billion every year. And that’s just the economics. There is no way to calculate the cost in suffering that pain causes. Pain makes it hard for someone to concentrate, to work or to continue normal activities. In fact, pain can overwhelm a person’s life.

Our focus is on your quality of life.

Our Pain Specialists Utilize State–of-the-Art Treatments

At Pacific Medical Centers, our pain specialists understand the many dimensions of pain. They combine appropriate and timely evidence-based therapies to provide pain relief and to improve quality of life. Whenever possible, the goal is to manage pain without the use of narcotics, through techniques such as transforaminal, interlaminar, or caudal epidural injections; sacroiliac joint injections; facet joint injections and radiofrequency ablation; epidural lysis of adhesions; vertebroplasty; and spinal cord stimulation, just to name a few of the therapies available.

Keeping Treatment on Target

Treatment strategies may rely on fluoroscopic (X-ray) guidance to assure proper placement of needles for the injections and for enhanced patient safety. Fluoroscopy involves using a special technique to obtain real-time, moving images of the spine or related structures. Ultrasound may be used in other procedures for visualization and enhanced outcomes.

Spinal Cord Stimulation

Dr. Bedder is a recognized and published leader in the field of neuromodulation. He lectures and teaches nationally and internationally on the subject. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a neuromodulation technique often used for patients who have had previous spinal surgery or who have persistent pain of neuropathic origin. SCS can be tested with a simple outpatient trial to assess if this therapy works for an individual patient. If the trial is successful, a device the size of a pacemaker is inserted for long-term use. The new-generation devices are rechargeable and last a minimum of 5-9 years.

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Physicians

Find out more about our Interventional Pain Management specialists, including their practice philosophies and special interests:

• Bedder, Marshall MD
• Romasanta, Gladys ARNP