InHealth: Interventional Pain Medicine

By Dr. Fabian Ramos, M.D., DABA, DABPM, DABIPP, FIPP
February 2021

What is Interventional Pain Medicine?

Interventional pain medicine is a complex and relatively new specialty originally derived from the field of anesthesiology, which has evolved during the last 30 years thanks to advances in biomedical technology and the sciences of neurology, surgery, physical medicine, orthopedics, psychiatry, and psychology. 

Interventional pain medicine specialists evaluate whether pain is a symptom of tissue damage or an underlying disease, such as a malignancy, or a direct nerve condition such as neuropathies, pinched nerves, multiple sclerosis, shingles, etc. They focus on the diagnosis and treatment of pain symptoms and the mind, using a multiple modality, personalized approach to rehabilitation that restores function, and enjoyment, very frequently in coordination with therapists, primary care physicians and other specialists.

What are the latest advances in Interventional Pain Medicine?

Current treatments performed by pain specialists are now helping patients with previously unresponsive types of chronic pain. For example, exceedingly difficult and persisting disc degeneration symptoms are now helped by selectively ablating the transmitting nerve inside the body of the vertebra during a one-hour, outpatient procedure. Sacroiliac buttock pain persisting after back fusions, or in women after labor, is now relieved by inserting a glue-like bone material inside the joint space during a 30-minute outpatient procedure that avoids traumatic fusing screw surgery. Leg weakness, heaviness, and inability to walk that improves when leaning (for example on a shopping cart), typical in spinal stenosis, is now treated in select patients with a removable, penny size and totally reversible titanium device. This 20-minute outpatient procedure is performed without touching or violating internal spine structures and in most cases, avoiding laminectomy or spine surgery. 

Continually evolving pain modulation technology allows insertion of tiny electrodes in the nerves, body, or spine to block, diminish or change pain signals by delivering electrical and magnetic fields which are now imperceptible to the human being. Improvements in bone cement materials allow for stabilization of even severe fractures through a quarter-of-an-inch access in the skin and make it possible to treat more severe vertebral fractures with almost complete permanent relief after a one-hour outpatient procedure. Common procedures like epidural injections are now performed through blunt cannulas that improve safety and results.

Who is a good candidate for a pain medicine specialist and what types of pain are treated?

Any patient who has pain that persists beyond the expected time of healing is a candidate, especially if alternatives such as ibuprofen, resting, ice, stretching, or OTC patches or creams have failed. If pain persists, a knowledgeable interventional pain specialist can promptly guide the correct steps towards a definitive diagnosis, treatment and improvement.  

How quickly will I find pain relief?

The onset of improvement can be fast, and the curve of sustained improvement depends on the individual diagnosis. Interventional pain medicine cannot “cure” aging, but like any other medical specialty works by modulating and managing the disease. A knowledgeable pain specialist will work with you to treat and guide you to live your life with the best functional outcomes at the minimal physical and psychological cost. 

Ramos Center For Interventional & Functional Pain Medicine
100 3rd Ave W., Bradenton, Fl 34205
2540 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, Fl 34239
1370 E. Venice Ave., Suite 104, Venice, Fl 34285
2061 Englewood Rd., Suite 2A, Englewood, Fl 34223
941.708.9555 | ramoscenter.com