Neck, Back, and Musculoskeletal Pain Management Specialists in New Jersey

Both acute or chronic pain caused by the same ailment, affect patients differently. From symptom intensity to the ability to function, pain interrupts any lifestyle. For patients seeking a diagnosis and effective, long-lasting pain relief, Centers for Neurosurgery, Spine & Orthopedics in New Jersey offers treatment using trusted pain control solutions. The goal is to stop the pain generator and return the quality of life of every patient, free from pain medications. Learn more below about how the CNSO award-winning doctors, specialized in physical medicine and rehabilitation plus fellowship trained in pain management, will customize a pain treatment plan to control pain and allow you to get back to enjoying life.

Opiate-Free Pain Management Treatment Options

While there are many causes of headaches, muscle, joint, or nerve pain and the associated symptoms, Centers for Neurosurgery, Spine & Orthopedics specialists, board-certified in both physical medicine and rehabilitation as well as fellowship trained in the field of pain management can help. This dual certification provides CNSO patients with experts in analyzing the cause of pain, coupled with the expertise of knowing which treatment will provide a rapid recovery. CNSO pain control solutions are proven non-surgical procedures free from opiates that include:

Epidural Injections

After applying a local anesthetic, CNSO pain management doctors will locally inject small doses of steroidal medication near the spine’s nerves, within the epidural space, to reduce the inflammation and swelling of the surrounding nerve roots and spinal cord itself. This procedure is an extremely effective pain management technique for back pain that has an associated radiculopathy. Epidural injections decrease the inflammation and swelling of the affected nerves thereby reducing the pressure of the surrounding boney structures on the nerves which is the source of the pain. By locally injecting steroids, there is little unnecessary spread of the medication to other parts of the body yet all the benefits of an isolated concentration of steroids at the affected area. We commonly recommend an epidural for patients with the below medical conditions who do not improve with physical therapy or NSAIDS:

- Degenerative disc disease
- Pinched Nerve
- Herniated Disc
- Degenerative spine disease
- Mild to moderate spinal stenosis
- Spondylolisthesis causing radiating leg pain

Transforaminal Injections Target Specific Nerve Roots

Transforaminal injections are performed similarly to an epidural injection but with even small doses of locally placed steroids and anesthetics applied to a targeted nerve root. Transforaminal injections can be used to block pain in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine, and can offer long lasting pain relief which also encourages patients to fully engage in physical therapy so they can comfortably increase their range of motion and strength.

Sciatica and Sacroiliitis Treatment

Lower back pain and buttock pain with one sided leg pain can commonly be caused by a condition called sciatica. This pain combination is due to a pinched nerve in the region of the lumbar spine. To complicate matters, nearly the same pain location can be due to sacroiliitis. This is caused by inflammation of the sacroiliac joint. In order to confirm whether the cause of back pain is the sacroiliac joint, sciatic nerve pain, or something else, a thorough medical history and physical examination, taking by a CNSO physician, would be required. If the diagnosis is sacroiliitis, a course of physical therapy may resolve the discomfort. If not, a sacroiliac joint block (SJB) or sacroiliac injections (SI) would be recommended. If the root cause is sciatica, a different course of physical therapy may resolve sciatica. If not, either a caudal injection, an epidural steroid injection or a selective nerve injection would be considered and depend on the specific symptoms along with further diagnostic results. If either condition remains severe or continually reoccurs, then in the case of sacroiliitis, a sacral ablation of the nerve would be the optimal treatment. For sciatica, if steroid injections only provide temporary relief, then relief of the lower back pain, and MRI would need to reveal a structural impingement on nerves in the lumbar region. CNSO physicians are experts are interpreting an MRI of the spine. If an abnormality is detected by neurosurgeon or orthopedic spine surgeon the patient who does not have resolution with conservative care would be considered for minimally invasive surgical decompression. Any type of decompressive spine surgery must be done by either a neurosurgeon or orthopedic spine surgeon.

Trigger Point Injections

For patients with painful muscle spasms or knots in any part of the body, trigger point injections may provide lasting relief, whether they’re due to other back problems, strains, injury, including myofascial pain syndromes and fibromyalgia. Trigger point injections are administered in a quick 2 minute in-office procedure, using topical anesthetic to numb the skin then inject an anesthetic mixture within the muscle which will relax the spasm.

Headache and Severe Migraine Relief

There are multiple causes of a headache. It can range from dehydration, muscle tension, a vascular abnormality or a brain tumor. Headaches that are caused by muscle spasm or blood vessels are categorized as either a stress-related tension headache, a cluster headache, or a migraine headache. Symptoms of a migraine headache range from a throbbing or pulsating pain to blurred vision, light and noise sensitivity, facial numbness, nausea, and vomiting. CNSO pain management specialists and neurosurgeons can determine the cause of your headache. Though CNSO only treats severe migraine headaches, headaches related to cervical spine abnormalities, Chiari malformations, or brain tumors, we recommend the following to reduce the occurrence and intensity of most types of headaches including migraines:

- Nutritional Correlation and Adjustments
- Medications
- Acupuncture Acupressure
- Physical Therapy
- Trigger Point Injections
- Botox Injections – Indicated for extremely severe migraines or high frequency migraines that have failed conservative management

If headaches persist, imaging may be recommended in order to determine if there is a structural abnormality of your spine or brain. Any such finding would be treatable by CNSO neurosurgeons.

Physical Therapy by Doctors

Muscle, ligament, or tendon strains and other orthopedic injuries greatly benefit from physical therapy. The goal of the CNSO physical therapist is to relax muscle spasm, increase flexibility, increase range of motion, then increase strength. Our physical therapists utilize modalities that require a hands-on plus physical trainer approach such as:

- Massage
- Passive and Active Stretching
- Myofascial Release
- Ultrasound manipulation
- Electrical stimulation
- Joint and/or soft-tissue manipulation
- TENS
- Ice and heat
- Targeted Key Muscle Group Exercises
- Muscle Strengthening
- And more…

Medial Branch Blocks to Diagnosis and Determine Best Long-Lasting Treatment

A certain type of neck or back pain is caused by a pinched nerve, in this case, a Medial Nerve, which travels out of the spinal cord and into the facet joint where it elicits noxious sensations when moving. Back pain stemming from the facet joint, characteristically increases when bending side to side or mildly extending the back. The Medial Branch Block is the recommended procedure to temporarily stop pain signals emitting from facet joint. Often called MBB, the 10-minute procedure entails placing a small amount of numbing medication on the skin, then painlessly injecting local anesthetic and steroids into the facet joint just below the anesthetized area. If the patient becomes free from back pain, the diagnosis of facet related back pain is confirmed. If the pain returns, a second MBB will be necessary. If a pain free state only temporarily occurs again, then an ablation of the offending Medial Nerve would be required in order to produce long lasting relief.

Learn More about Pain Management in New Jersey

If you or a loved one is seeking relief from neck pain, back pain, nerve pain, or headaches, the team of experts at Centers for Neurosurgery, Spine & Orthopedics in NJ, is ready to establish the most effective treatment plan for you. CNSO will improve your quality of life an encourage you to be active again. For more information, contact us today, or call us to schedule an appointment at one of our locations throughout New Jersey.

Facet Injections and Transforaminal Injections

Facet joint injections and transforaminal injections block pain in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. They are performed similarly and in close proximity to where epidural injections would be performed but are more localized in their steroid disbursement. Facet injections are often used to aid with physical therapy because after an injection, patients can then exercise using a full range of motion with minimum pain.

Sarcoiliitis Treatment

Also, sacroiliac joint block (SJB) or sacroiliac injections (SI) are often the primary method used to diagnose and treat sacroilic joint pain caused by inflammation. This type of back pain relief procedure is repeated as often as three times per year by a doctor. If the sacroiliitis is severe and recurring despite steroid injections, a minimally invasive surgical decompression by a neurosurgeon may be an option.

Relieving Muscle Spasms With Trigger Point Injections

A trigger point injection is often used for persistent pain due to a localized muscle spasm or “knot”. This may be caused by other back problems or due to strain or injury. Trigger points often are needed in the case of myofascial pain syndrome, a disorder causing sensitive muscle points in unrelated body parts throughout the body. This quick procedure is performed in the office using a topical anesthetic to numb the surface of the skin, then, the placement of an anesthetic mixture within the muscle causes the muscle to relax. Post injection, patients are free to move and stretch the muscle.

Headache and Migraine Pain Relief

Various symptoms determine whether a person is suffering from a migraine, cluster, stress or a tension headache. Headaches symptoms range from throbbing or pulsating pain in the forehead, temple lobes or back of the head to more severe symptoms such as blurred vision, light sensitivity, facial numbness, noise sensitivity, nausea and vomiting can also occur. There are many physical medicine techniques, eating and drinking habits, pain management procedures, and medications that can reduce the reoccurrence of headaches and minimize the discomfort when it happens. If the headache is found to be caused by a tumor, then it must be removed. After the careful evaluation of a headache and the determination of its cause, the appropriate treatment will be chosen by the pain management doctor. Options offered will depend on the cause of each headache and may include acupuncture, botox, acupressure, physical therapy, or trigger point injections all may be offered.

Centers for Neurosurgery, Spine, and Orthopedics Provides Pain Management

Centers for Neurosurgery, Spine, and Orthopedics (CNSO) is a comphrehensive resource for pain management. Whether individuals are inflicted with pain from a headache, an injury, accident, or a chronic pain disorder, top neurosurgeons, who are spine surgeons, and non-surgical staff including pain management doctors, physiatrists and physical therapists of CNSO, collectively evaluate each case and provide the best treatment. Offering multiple office locations spanning Passaic County to Sussex County and surrounding towns such as Paramus, Kinnelon, and Hackensack, NJ, patients are welcome to contact Centers for Neurosurgery, Spine, and Orthopedics today for effective pain relief.

Centers for Neurosurgery, Spine, and Orthopedics’s team of physicians understands how pain can be physically and emotionally debilitating. They compassionately help patients regain their pain-free lives.