At North Texas Interventional Radiology we know that chronic pain from Migraine headaches can be debilitating.
The sphenopalantine ganglion is small collections of nerve cells in the back of the nasal passage that relate to head and facial pain. Temporary relief from head and facial pain can be achieved by blocking the signals from these nerves using a technique called sphenopalantine ganglion block. In the past blocking of these nerves was achieved by placing a Q-tip saturated with Lidocaine in the back of the nasal passage for 20-40, or placing a needle directly into the sphenopalantine ganglion from the side of the head. A new technique that is virtually painless has now been developed by palcing a small catheter (SphenoCath®) into the nasal passage and delivering local anesthetic (Lidocaine) to the sphenopalantine ganglion.
Craniofacial pain, facial pain, trigeminal neuralgia, migraine, cluster, and post-concussive headaches can all be treated with SphenoCath®. The procedure itself can be performed in about 15 minutes and can provide immediate pain relief in most patients. The procedure is low risk and can be performed on adults, children, and on pregnant women. The procedure is reimbursed by Medicare and by most insurance companies. For more information visit SphenoCath.com
For more information or to request an appointment please call (972)736-9980.
There are many causes for back and joint pain and it is important to get the right diagnosis so that the right treatment can be performed. If you have osteoporosis and have had a fall or just have a sudden increase in your back pain you may have a vertebral compression fracture. Metastatic cancer is also responsible for vertebral compression fractures and significant back pain as well. These conditions can be treated with either vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty. We have found through experience that vertebral compression fractures treated with these procedures give dramatic pain relief to our patients most of the time.
Vertebroplasty is a non-surgical treatment for painful vertebral compression fractures. After the patient is put under heavy sedation, needles are place into the fractured vertebral body using fluorocopic guidance (real time X-rays). Bone cement is injected into the vertebral body and this hardens in about 15 minutes. When the bone cement hardens it releases heat energy into the vertebral body and deactivates some of the nerve fibers in the vertebral body being irritated by the fracture and thus causes pain relief. It also forms a kind of internal permanent cast, thus stabilizing the vertebral body. Up to three vertebral compression fractures can be treated at once with this procedure. Patients usually experience immediate pain relief.
Kyphoplasty is similar to vertebroplasty with the only difference is that balloons a place into the vertebral body following needle placement. The high-pressure balloons are inflated and create cavities in the vertebral body. Balloon inflation can also restore some lost height to the compressed vertebral body. The balloons are removed and bone cement is then injected into the cavities and allowed to harden. As with vertebroplasty patients usually experience immediate pain relief.
For more information on vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty for the treatment of painful vertebral compression fractures please visit Society of Interventional Radiology and Stryker – Helping Backs.
The sacroiliac joint is at the bottom part of the spine and connects the sacrum to the hip. There are two joints, one on the left and one on the right. The sacroiliac joint can cause pain in the lower back. Sacroiliac joint injection is used to both diagnose a source of back pain and to treat the pain if that is the source. A thin needle is placed into the joint space under fluoroscopic guidance (real time X-rays) and a small amount if contrast is injected into the joint to ensure the needle is properly placed. Numbing medication is then injected into the joint space. If the patient experiences a 75-80% reduction in pain following the injection, then the source of the pain is most likely the sacroiliac joint. Steriods can also be injected into the joint space to provide a longer relief of pain usually lasting about 3 months.
Injections of the hip, knee, or shoulder joint can be performed for diagnostic and/or therapeutic purposes. Injection of the joint space with local anesthetic can be performed to see if pain coming from an area around the joint is from the joint itself or is something else. Once it is proven that the pain is coming from the joint itself, longer acting corticosteroids can be injected into the joint space to decrease pain from the joint.
For more information or to request an appointment please call (972)736-9980.