Pain Management

As a non-surgical option to help relieve joint, muscle, and radiating nerve pain, medication injections can be very effective. During a short procedure, Dr. Fuller injects pain medication near or directly to the source of your pain. If a patient’s pain returns, these injections can be repeated with an extremely low risk of any complications.

Dr. Fuller offers the following types of injections:

• Lumbar epidural injections, for pain relief in the lower back
• Thoracic epidural injections, for pain relief in the upper back
• Cervical epidural injections, for pain relief in the neck and shoulders
• Ultrasound-guided injections, where an ultrasound is used to find the exact area for the injection
• Trigger point injections, which can relax painful muscles, especially in the back, shoulders, and neck, with an injection of medication

To relieve pain and inflammation in your lower back, legs, and neck, Dr. Fuller may recommend a facet block, an injection that targets the facet joints of the spine. The facet joints connect the spine’s vertebrae and allow motion in your back. After a low-dose X-ray to determine the location for the facet block, the area in or near your affected facet joint will be injected with an anesthetic and a corticosteroid for pain relief.

If your pain is not helped long-term by facet blocks, Dr. Fuller may recommend a facet rhizotomy, where a needle with an electrode is placed near the nerves of the affected facet joint. Nerves transport pain signals to the brain. Using radiofrequency, these nerves are destroyed to provide pain relief.

If other non-surgical treatments have failed to bring you pain relief in your neck or back, Dr. Fuller may conduct a discography, which is a diagnostic procedure to help pinpoint the disc between the bones in your spine that’s causing the problem. Once the disc is identified, Dr. Fuller will come up with a personalized pain management treatment plan for you.

If Dr. Fuller suspects that a nerve may be the cause of your pain, he can inject medication directly around the nerve, a procedure called a nerve block. If the injection provides short-term relief, Dr. Fuller can offer a more comprehensive treatment plan that may include additional medications and/or surgery if needed for more long-term relief. We offer the following types of nerve blocks:

• Cervical selective nerve root blocks, for pain in the neck, shoulders, and/or arms
• Greater occipital nerve blocks for headache pain

In 2010, the FDA approved BOTOX^® for use in preventing chronic migraine headaches in adults. Studies have shown that BOTOX injections can relieve migraine headache symptoms and decrease the number of headache days for up to 3 months.

BOTOX may also be used to relieve chronic myofascial pain. When injected into myofascial trigger points or affected muscle groups, small doses of BOTOX can relax the muscles for up to 3 months at a time.

Dr. Fuller is highly experienced at prescribing medications for pain management and at monitoring your medication levels to ensure that you’re receiving the correct dosage to help relieve your pain going forward. Depending upon the type and severity of your pain, medications such as corticosteroids, opioids, or antidepressants may be prescribed to aid in pain relief.

This type of pain management treatment can help not only in pain relief, but also in healing chronic injuries, especially injuries to the tendons. Get more detailed information on PRP therapy and how it can benefit you.