Conditions

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)

Spinal cord stimulation (also called SCS) uses electrical impulses to relieve chronic pain of the back, arms and legs. It is believed that electrical pulses prevent pain signals from being received by the brain. SCS candidates include people who suffer from neuropathic pain and for whom conservative treatments have failed.

Compression Fractures of the Spine

This is a collapse of vertebral bone. It can affect one or more vertebrae. Compression fractures typically develop in your mid or lower back. This can change the shape of your spine.

Degenerative Disc Disease

This condition is a weakening of one or more vertebral discs, which normally act as a cushion between the vertebrae. This condition can develop as a natural part of the aging process, but it may also result from injury to the back.

Facet Joint Syndrome

This condition is a deterioration of the facet joints, which help stabilize the spine and limit excessive motion. The facet joints are lined with cartilage and are surrounded by a lubricating capsule that enables the vertebrae to bend and twist.

Fibromyalgia

This chronic condition is believed to be a type of interference with the way your brain processes pain signals. It leaves you highly sensitive to pain. If you have this condition, you may feel long-lasting pain throughout your body.

Herniated Discs

A herniated disc is a common injury that can affect any part of the spine. A herniated disc can cause severe pain and other problems in the arms or legs.

Lumbar Radiculopathy (Sciatica)

This condition is an irritation or compression of one or more nerve roots in the lumbar spine. Because these nerves travel to the hips, buttocks, legs and feet, an injury in the lumbar spine can cause symptoms in these areas. Sciatica may result from a variety of problems with the bones and tissues of the lumbar spinal column.

Metastatic Cancer of the Spine

This form of cancer develops in or near the spinal cord or within the vertebrae. It can spread through multiple levels of the spine. It can lead to a wide range of serious complications.

Myofascial Pain Syndrome

Myofascial Pain Syndrome is caused by injury or damage to the fascia, the soft, stretchy connective tissue that surrounds muscles, organs and other structures inside the body. The syndrome causes chronic pain in muscles throughout the body, especially in the neck and jaw.

Peripheral Neuralgia

This painful condition results from damage to the peripheral nervous system – the nerves that travel from the spinal cord to the limbs and organs.

Phantom Limb Pain

If you have lost a limb or another part of your body, you may feel painful sensations that seem to be coming from the missing part. This phenomenon is called “phantom pain.” It is common among amputees. It can become a chronic problem for some people.

Piriformis Syndrome

This condition is an irritation of the sciatic nerve, a thick nerve that branches from the lumbar spine and travels through the buttocks and down the back of each leg. An irritation of the sciatic nerve can result in radiating pain or numbness from the buttocks down through the legs.

Post-Laminectomy Syndrome

This condition, also called “failed back syndrome,” is a type of chronic pain. It can develop in some people after spine surgery.

Spinal Stenosis

The spinal column contains open spaces that create passageways for the spinal cord and the spinal nerves. Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of (or an intrusion into) these openings. This can cause a compression of the nerves. Spinal stenosis most commonly affects the cervical and lumbar regions of the spine.

Spondylolisthesis

This condition is a degeneration of the spine that can affect the spine at any level, resulting in pain and discomfort that can grow worse over time.

Trigeminal Neuralgia

This chronic condition is caused by a misfiring of the trigeminal nerve. An attack causes brief episodes of extreme, shooting pain.

Back Pain – Overview

About 80 percent of adults experience back pain at some point in their lives. Back pain is one of the most common reasons people go to the doctor. It is the most common cause of job-related disability, and a leading contributor to missed work days. There are many causes of low back pain. Axial back pain—which is related to normal wear and tear that occurs in the joints, discs, and bones of the spine— occurs most commonly. It presents as pain, generally in the low back around the belt line. It can also cause aching pain down the thighs.

Another common cause of back pain is the compression of nerves in the spinal canal and as they exit. This is called spinal stenosis. Pain due to stenosis “narrowing” generally presents as back pain and leg pain. The leg pain is often referred to as sciatica and often travels down a pathway that is determined by which nerve is being compressed (dermatome). This pain is generally caused by herniated discs, or narrowing of the spinal canal due to arthritis.

Another common cause of back pain is sacro-ilitis, which is inflammation of the SI joint. This pain presents very similar to axial back pain, and for that reason is often misdiagnosed. There are several physical exam findings that help us differentiate where the pain comes from, but often diagnostic blocks with local anesthetics are required to help us properly diagnose the cause of your back pain.

While these are the more common causes of back pain, there are several others that can cause significant pain and impairment. These include infection, tumors, kidney stones, fibromyalgia, sprains, endometriosis, and pain after back surgery.

If your back pain is debilitating, has been present for greater than four weeks, or is demonstrating symptoms of sciatica, it may be in your best interests to call for an appointment so we can help prevent your back pain from being chronic.

Neck Pain

Neck pain is a common complaint. Neck muscles can be strained from poor posture, whether it’s leaning over your computer or hunching over your workbench. Osteoarthritis also is a common cause of neck pain. Neck pain is commonly associated with dull aching. Sometimes pain in the neck is worsened with movement of the neck or turning the head. Neck pain can also be associated with headache, facial pain, shoulder pain, and arm numbness or tingling (upper extremity paresthesias).

When Symptoms travel down the arm it is often indicative of pinched nerves in the neck. Over time, weakness may be develop due to nerve compression. If you are experiencing weakness in your arm, you should be evaluated by healthcare professional. Prolonged nerve compression will lead to irreversible injury.

While most causes of neck pain are related to arthritis of the neck, spinal stenosis (narrowing), or muscle spasm, other causes of neck pain include: infection, meningitis, fibromyalgia, polymyalgia rheumatic, trauma, or inflamed lymph nodes.

Neuropathy

Neuropathy is a general term that means “nerve damage.” Every nerve in your peripheral system has a specific function, so symptoms depend on the type of nerves affected. Nerves are classified into three categories:

• Sensory nerves that receive sensation (such as temperature, pain, vibration or touch) from the skin.
• Motor nerves that control muscle movement.
• Autonomic nerves that control functions such as blood pressure, heart rate, digestion and bladder.

Signs and symptoms of peripheral neuropathy might include: gradual onset of numbness, prickling or tingling in your feet or hands; sharp, jabbing, throbbing, freezing or burning pain; sensitivity to touch; lack of coordination and falling; or muscle weakness or paralysis, if motor nerves are affected.

One form of painful neuropathy that can be severely debilitating is Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). CRPS is a chronic pain condition that most often affects one limb (arm, leg, hand, or foot) usually after an injury, trauma, or surgery. CRPS is believed to be caused by damage to, or malfunction of, the peripheral and central nervous systems. CRPS is divided into two types: CRPS-I and CRPS-II. Individuals without a confirmed nerve injury are classified as having CRPS-I (previously known as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome). CRPS-II (previously known as Causalgia) is when there is an associated, confirmed nerve injury.

At Pain and Spine Consultants we are able to offer treatments for neuropathy that are not available anywhere else in south-eastern Idaho. These treatments include: sympathetic nerve blocks, IV infusion therapy, spinal cord stimulation, DRG stimulation, peripheral nerve stimulation, and medication management.

Joint Pain

“Joint pain” can be discomfort, pain or inflammation arising from any part of a joint including cartilage, bone, ligaments, tendons or muscles. Most commonly, however, joint pain refers to arthritis within the joint itself. From the individual joints in our spine to our large joints in our upper and lower extremity, degeneration and pain can occur. Proper diagnosis is key to proper treatment of joint pain.

Common joints that lead to chronic pain include the knee, hip, sacroliliac, and shoulder. Pain in these areas can be very debilitating and can affect your ability to work and perform activities of daily living, and can affect your quality of life. The majority of pain in these areas is due to osteoarthritis. Many times there are surgical options that can help alleviate the pain. However often there is no surgical correction and managing the symptoms is only option available. At Pain and Spine, we have multiple options to help you manage your symptoms so you can return to having a high quality of life and improved functionality.

Headache/Migraine

Roughly 36 million people, or 12% of the population, suffer from migraine headaches. Women are affected three times more than men. The presentation of headaches varies from person to person.

The most important aspect of treatment is making the right diagnosis and then developing and following the correct treatment program. When there is pressure or pain in your head, it can be difficult to tell whether you are experiencing a typical headache or a migraine. Differentiating a migraine headache from a traditional headache, and vice versa, is important. It can mean faster relief through better treatments.

Headaches are unpleasant pains in your head that can cause pressure and aching. The pain can range from mild to severe, and they usually occur on both sides of your head. Some specific areas where headaches can occur include the forehead, temples, and back of the neck. A headache can last anywhere from 30 minutes to a week. According to the Mayo Clinic, the most common headache type is a tension headache. Triggers for this headache type include stress, muscle strain, and anxiety.

Migraine headaches are intense or severe and often have other symptoms in addition to head pain. Symptoms associated with a migraine headache include: nausea, pain behind one eye or ear, pain in the temples, seeing spots or flashing lights, sensitivity to light and/or sound, temporary vision loss, and vomiting.

At Pain and Spine Consultants, we can help diagnose and tailor the correct treatment plan, from medication management to injections including nerve blocks; and other injections.

Advanced Techniques

Chronic pain significantly affects the life and function roughly 10% of the population of the United States. For this reason, the treatment of chronic pain is ever evolving as new and innovative technology and treatment are being discovered. At Pain and Spine Consultants we embrace the new technologies. We are in constant pursuit of the new treatments that will help our patients have an improved quality of life. Some of the technologies that are new and evolving include spinal cord stimulation, Dorsal Root Ganglion stimulation, Intrathecal pump management, kyphloplasty/ vertebroplasty, Vertiflex™ “Indirect Spinal Decompression”, radiofrequency ablation, and regenerative medicine.