Inflammation

Inflammation is a natural response of the body to injury or infection. However, when it becomes chronic, it can lead to persistent pain and discomfort. Recognizing the signs of chronic inflammation is essential for seeking appropriate treatment and improving overall health.

If you're living with chronic pain due to inflammation, the board-certified doctors at Pain and Spine Specialists of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Virginia are ready to help. Our team will work with you to determine the cause of your inflammation, develop a comprehensive treatment plan, and provide ongoing support to manage your symptoms effectively.

Schedule a consultation today to begin your journey towards improved health and well-being.

Inflammation Defined

Inflammation involves the immune system responding to perceived threats by sending white blood cells and other substances to the affected area. While this response is helpful in the short term, inflammation can become a problem when it lasts for a long time, known as chronic inflammation. This can lead to various health issues, including ongoing pain and discomfort.

Typical symptoms of inflammation include:

• Chronic Pain: Chronic pain can occur due to inflammation affecting the body's tissues and nerves. This pain often persists even when there is no apparent injury, as the inflammation keeps the area in a constant state of irritation.
• Fatigue: Inflammation can lead to feelings of fatigue and low energy. The body's resources are being used to fight off perceived threats, which can leave a person feeling tired and drained.
• Redness: Inflammation often causes redness in the affected area, which results from increased blood flow. The blood vessels expand to deliver more immune cells to the site of injury or infection, leading to a visibly red appearance.
• Swelling: Swelling occurs when fluids and immune cells leak into the tissues during an inflammatory response. This buildup can cause the area to enlarge and feel puffy or tender.
• Warmth: The skin may feel warm to the touch when inflammation is present. This warmth is due to increased blood flow and the body’s efforts to fight off infection or heal an injury.

Inflammation can be caused by various factors that trigger the body's immune response. One common cause is an infection, such as a virus or bacteria, which prompts the immune system to attack and eliminate the invaders. Injuries, like cuts or sprains, can also lead to inflammation as the body works to heal the damaged tissues.

Additionally, chronic conditions can cause ongoing inflammation, such as:

• Arthritis
• Bulging and Herniated Discs
• Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome
• Degenerative Disc Disease
• Failed Back/Neck Surgery Syndrome
• Fibromyalgia
• Headaches
• Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
• Neuropathy or Neuralgia
• Osteoarthritis
• Peripheral Nerve Entrapment
• Sciatica
• Vertebral Compression Fractures

Diagnosing Inflammation

At Pain and Spine Specialists, diagnosing inflammation is an essential step in finding the right treatment for your pain.

When you come in for an evaluation, our experienced team will start by discussing your symptoms and medical history. We want to understand what you’re feeling and how long you’ve been experiencing these issues.

Next, we may perform a physical examination to check for signs of inflammation, such as swelling, redness, or warmth in the affected area. We might also recommend tests like blood work, imaging studies such as X-rays or MRIs, or other diagnostic procedures to get a closer look at what’s happening in your body.

Once we gather all the necessary information, we’ll analyze the results to determine the cause of your inflammation. This thorough diagnosis allows us to create a personalized treatment plan tailored specifically to your needs.

Our goal at Pain and Spine Specialists is to relieve your symptoms and also address the underlying issues causing your pain, helping you regain your quality of life.

Inflammation Treatment Options

Fortunately, people living with inflammation have many choices for treatment at Pain and Spine Specialists. Most likely, our doctors will choose inflammation treatment from three categories: bracing services, injection treatments, and minimally invasive techniques.

Bracing Services

Our Pain and Spine Specialists team offers a range of bracing services designed to support and protect your joints during the healing process.

Bracing can be especially beneficial for patients dealing with inflammation, as it provides stability and helps to reduce pain in affected areas. Our services include bracing options for the back, hip, knee, neck, and wrist, allowing us to tailor our support to your specific needs.

By using braces, we aim to enhance your comfort and mobility while you work towards recovery.

Injection Treatments

Injection treatments for inflammation at PASS include:

• Epidural Steroid Injections: Epidural steroid injections deliver corticosteroids directly into the epidural space around the spinal cord. They help reduce inflammation and alleviate pain in patients experiencing chronic back pain or nerve-related issues.
• Facet Joint Injections: By injecting medication into the facet joints of the spine, these treatments aim to provide relief from inflammation and pain in the back. They can help improve mobility and reduce discomfort in patients with chronic spinal issues.
• Lumbar Sympathetic Block: Lumbar sympathetic blocks target the sympathetic nerves in the lower back to reduce pain and inflammation. It is particularly effective for patients suffering from conditions like complex regional pain syndrome or chronic pelvic pain.
• Medial Branch Block Injections: Medial branch block injections provide targeted relief by blocking pain signals from the small nerves that supply the facet joints in the spine. They can help decrease inflammation and are often used in diagnosing back pain.
• Occipital Nerve Block: Occipital nerve blocks are injections that target the occipital nerves at the back of the head, providing relief for those suffering from chronic headaches and neck pain. By reducing inflammation in the area it can help patients experiencing migraines or tension headaches.
• Sacroiliac Joint Injections: Sacroiliac joint injections aim to reduce pain and inflammation in the sacroiliac joints, which connect the lower spine to the pelvis. They can help patients suffering from lower back pain gain better mobility and comfort.
• Steroid Injections: Steroid injections deliver powerful anti-inflammatory medication directly into the affected area. This treatment helps reduce swelling and pain for patients experiencing chronic inflammation.
• Trigger Point Injections: Trigger point injections deliver medication directly into painful muscle knots, helping to relax the muscles and reduce inflammation in the area. They can be particularly beneficial for patients dealing with myofascial pain syndrome.
• Weight Loss Injections: By reducing excess weight, patients may experience less strain on their bodies and improved overall health.

Minimally Invasive Techniques

At Pain and Spine Specialists, we offer a variety of minimally invasive treatments designed to help manage inflammation and improve your quality of life.

One such treatment is the Aurora ZIP, which uses advanced technology to target and relieve pain at the source while reducing inflammation in affected areas.

Hyaluronic acid injections are another option that can provide cushioning in the joints, helping to alleviate pain and reduce inflammation, particularly for arthritis patients.

Infrared sauna therapy promotes relaxation and aids in detoxification, which can help decrease inflammation throughout the body. Intrathecal pumps deliver medication directly to the spinal fluid, allowing for more effective pain relief and inflammation reduction without the need for oral medications.

Peripheral nerve stimulation involves placing a small device near a nerve to disrupt pain signals, providing relief from inflammation and associated discomfort. Radiofrequency ablation uses heat generated from radio waves to target and deactivate nerve roots, reducing pain and inflammation in chronic conditions.

Sacroiliac joint fusion permanently connects the sacroiliac joint to decrease pain and inflammation in the lower back. Spinal cord stimulation involves implanting a device that sends mild electrical signals to the spinal cord, providing relief from chronic pain and inflammation.

The Intracept Procedure targets specific nerves in the spine to relieve pain and reduce inflammation in the lower back. The Minuteman Procedure is a quick and effective way to relieve pain by reducing inflammation around the spine with minimal disruption to surrounding tissues.

Finally, VIA Disc NP provides targeted treatment for disc-related pain by addressing inflammation in the intervertebral discs, helping patients regain their mobility and comfort.

Find Relief from Inflammation at Pain and Spine Specialists

If you're living with inflammation and the pain it causes, our team at Pain and Spine Specialists is here to help. We offer personalized treatment options tailored to your specific needs, so you can find relief and enhance your range of motion. With our experienced doctors and advanced treatments, we can work together to manage your symptoms effectively.

Find out more about inflammation treatment by calling one of our Pain and Spine Specialists locations in Florida, Maryland, Pennsylvania, or Virginia, or schedule an appointment with our team today.