Fluoroscopy

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Fluoroscopy-Guided Procedures for Pain Management

Fluoroscopy is a powerful tool for diagnosing and treating various sources of chronic pain, especially in the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. The following are common fluoroscopy-guided procedures offered at a pain management clinic:

  • Epidural Injections: These are used to deliver medication, such as corticosteroids and local anesthetics, directly into the epidural space of the spine to treat back, neck, and radicular pain. Fluoroscopy ensures the needle is correctly placed to maximize therapeutic effect and minimize complications.
  • Facet Joint Injections: The facet joints, small joints in the spine, can be a source of back pain. Fluoroscopy helps guide the injection of medication into these joints to relieve pain and inflammation.
  • Sacroiliac (SI) Joint Injections: This procedure targets pain in the SI joint, which connects the lower spine to the pelvis. Fluoroscopy-guided injections are performed to confirm needle placement within the joint space.
  • Nerve Root Blocks (Selective Nerve Blocks): Fluoroscopy is used to inject medication around specific spinal nerves to diagnose and treat pain, particularly in cases of sciatica or radiculopathy.
  • Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA): This is a therapeutic procedure where fluoroscopy is used to guide a special needle to a specific nerve. Radio waves are then used to heat and disable the nerve, stopping it from sending pain signals to the brain. RFA is often used after a successful nerve block confirms the source of pain.
  • Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty: These minimally invasive procedures use fluoroscopy to guide the injection of bone cement into fractured vertebrae to stabilize them and relieve pain.
  • Discography: A diagnostic procedure where contrast dye is injected into intervertebral discs to identify a specific disc as the source of a patient’s pain.

These procedures are typically performed in an outpatient setting, and the use of fluoroscopy allows for minimally invasive, precise treatment.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]