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A lumbar epidural steroid injection is a minimally invasive procedure for treating leg, buttock and lower back pain originating from the epidural space. The epidural space surrounds the dura, a membrane which protects the spinal cord and its nerves. The primary reasons for pain in this area are herniated or ruptured discs, stenosis, or sciatica all of which result in nerve compression. The pain may originate in any part of the lumbar region of the spine, including the coccyx, or tailbone, where it is referred to as caudal.

Radiofrequency neurotomy is a treatment designed to provide relief from severe pain in the back or neck. It uses the heat generated by radiofrequency waves to interfere with the nerves' ability to send out pain signals. The heat generated by these waves is delivered to targeted nerve areas through special needles that are inserted, just above the spinal area, through the skin.

A bursal sac is filled with fluid that provides a cushion between muscles/tendons and bones to decrease friction and irritation. There are bursal sacs around most of the body's joints. When a bursal sac gets infected or inflamed, it can lead to a painful condition called "bursitis." Although often caused by repetitive movement or overuse of a joint during sports or intense physical activity, bursitis can also result from injury, or arthritis of a joint.

By reducing inflammation, epidural steroid injections (ESIs) are used to temporarily relieve lumbar (lower back), cervical (neck), thoracic (mid-spine) and sciatic-nerve pain. ESIs contain cortisone and an anesthetic, and are delivered directly to the epidural space, which is the area between the spinal cord and the outer membrane that covers the brain and spinal cord (the dura). As a result, they provide more effective and faster pain relief than oral medications.

An epidural block is a common form of pain relief used during labor and delivery. With an epidural block, pain medication is administered through a catheter that is placed into the lower back (epidural space), near the spinal cord. By using a catheter, the physician controls the amount of medication the patient receives. Medication is usually adjusted at certain times during labor, especially during delivery. An epidural block usually requires about 20 minutes to take effect.

For many years, the medical community has been acutely aware of the body’s natural regenerative qualities. Physicians across all fields, including orthopedics, dentistry, and sports medicine, have implemented protocols that work synergistically with the body. The use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is common for promoting joint recovery and managing degenerative disease. It was only a matter of time before science discovered the value that PRP held for the body’s largest organ: the skin.

Cortisone is a chemical produced by the body to counter inflammation. Cortisone produced by the body is short-acting, and has only a temporary impact on inflammation, so is not very effective in helping to heal acne cysts or nodules. Cortisone injections, however, use highly concentrated cortisone, so are more effective in immediately reducing redness and inflammation, and providing long-lasting results. Although cortisone is a steroid, it is not an anabolic steroid, which is commonly used to increase strength and muscle size, and known to have harmful side effects.

Facet-joint injections are both a minimally invasive treatment for back pain caused by inflamed facet joints, and a diagnostic tool for determining whether facet-joint inflammation is a source of pain. Four facet joints connect each vertebra to the vertebra above and below it. A facet-joint injection, administered into either the joint capsule or its surrounding tissue, combines a long-lasting steroid and a local anesthetic.

Electrodiagnostic medicine is the study of diseases of nerves and muscles. An electrodiagnostic study, often referred to as an EMG/NCS or electromyogram and nerve conduction study, can help determine if a patient’s symptoms are caused by a neuromuscular disorder. It can also help to direct treatment by localizing a lesion, assessing the severity and help determine the duration of the injury as well as provide insight to the prognosis.

An intra-articular hip joint injection is a procedure that targets pain emanating from the hip by injecting anti-inflammatory solutions (long-acting steroids or platelet rich plasma) into the hip joint. The procedure is performed using live X-ray (called fluoroscopy) to ensure placement of the medication into the hip joint.

Lumbar facet-joint injections are both a minimally invasive treatment for lower-back pain caused by inflamed facet joints, and a diagnostic tool to determine whether facet-joint inflammation is the source of the pain. Facet joints connect each vertebra to the vertebra above and below it. A facet-joint injection, administered either into the joint capsule or its surrounding tissue, combines a long-lasting corticosteroid with a local anesthetic. Although the anesthetic provides only very temporary pain relief, the corticosteroid reduces inflammation and can relieve pain for up to a few years. Enduring pain relief from the injection is diagnostically significant, indicating that the pain originates in the facet joint that received the...

Sacroiliac-joint steroid injections help to diagnose and relieve lower-back pain caused by problems with one or both of the sacroiliac joints, which connect the spine's base (sacrum) to the pelvis's ilium bones. If one or both of the sacroiliac joints is inflamed (sacroiliac-joint dysfunction), a patient can experience pain in the buttocks and lower back that worsens when running or standing. Sacroiliac-joint dysfunction can be caused by osteoarthritis, traumatic injury, pregnancy, inflammatory joint disease, or underlying structural abnormalities.

Trigger-point injections treat pain in areas that have developed trigger points, which are knots of muscle that form when muscles contract and but cannot relax. Trigger points are caused by injury to or overuse of the affected muscle; they can also be caused by stress and anxiety. They can irritate the nerves around them, which causes pain in other areas of the body. The chronic pain brought on by trigger points can also decrease the affected muscle's range of motion.

Osteopathy is an alternative system of medicine that combines elements of conventional medicine with an alternative therapy known as osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT). Using OMT, a doctor physically moves muscles and joints to improve alignment and restore balance to the musculoskeletal system, which, in turn, is said to help all the body's systems function optimally. OMT is performed on many areas of the body, and is even used to manipulate joints of the cranium (cranial osteopathy). Osteopathic care encourages a natural form of self-healing.

Electrodiagnostic Studies (EMG/NCS) Electrodiagnostic (EMG) studies are routinely performed to evaluate neuromuscular disorders. Electrodiagnostic medicine is the study of diseases of nerves and muscles. An electrodiagnostic study, often referred to as an EMG/NCS or electromyogram and nerve conduction study, can help determine if a patient’s symptoms are caused by a neuromuscular disorder. It can also help to direct treatment by localizing a lesion, assessing the severity and help determine the duration of the injury as well as provide insight to the prognosis.