Introduction to Interventional Pain Management

Over 20% of adults worldwide experience some form of chronic joint pain - aching ankles, knees, or shoulders. Many take prescription or over-the-counter pain relievers to avoid surgical intervention, but long-term use of these medications can have side effects.

Chronic joint pain strikes people of all ages - sports injuries, car accidents, and, yes, aging, are all  causes of achy, stiff joints and discomfort going about your daily life.

Symptoms of Chronic Joint Pain

Just because your joints don't always hurt does not mean your pain is not chronic. If your pain is occasional but consistent, that's still considered chronic, your joints feel sore, achy, stiff, and it hurts to move. Sometimes, you feel a burning or grating sensation when you move. For many people, pain is worse in the mornings but eases up as they move and the day wears on, this is still a chronic joint pain condition.  The most common joints for chronic pain are your ankles, knees, and shoulders.

The symptoms of chronic joint pain include swelling, stiffness, and difficulty walking. Balancing on one foot is also difficult.

Interventional Therapies Offer New Solutions

Traditional pain management is limited to solutions that address the pain itself in an effort to make you  as comfortable as possible and avoid surgery, but doesn't consider the underlying causes. Inflamed joints are the culprits behind chronic joint pain, and analgesics don't have the firepower to heal the inflammation. All they can do is deaden the pain somewhat.

Interventional pain management - non-surgical or minimally invasive procedures - treat chronic pain and improve your quality of life.

These treaments focus on limiting or stopping that inflammation by targeting the affected area with a range of treatment options that are tailored to every patient's individual needs. Modern technologies allow physicians to see images of the pain points and diagnose the causes, then prescribe the right interventional treatment plan.

Interventional Options

Our ability to diagnose and treat chronic pain has increased exponentially this century. We specialize in using ultrasound and CT guidance  in addition to Xray guidance for treating these conditions with improved accuracy compared to conventional fluoroscopic techniques. Here are some common pain conditions we look after.

Ankle

Here are some of the causes of chronic ankle pain.

• Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis

• Fractures and ligament injuries

• Gout

• Tendonitis, including posterior tibial and Achilles tendonitis

• Nerve-related pain such as peripheral neuropathy and carpal tunnel syndrome

Interventional therapies for ankle pain provide targeted pain relief, reduced medication use, and faster recovery.

Knee

"Bad" knees are often the result of these conditions.

• Osteoarthritis
• Meniscus injury
• Post-surgical pain

For patients with knee pain, interventional therapies include nerve blocks and embolization.

• Genicular Nerve Block - blocking nerve signals provides temporary pain relief
• Genicular Nerve Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) - disrupts pain receptors  for longer-lasting relief
• Genicular Artery Embolization - selectively blocks blood vessels in that affected area to reduce pain and inflammation

Shoulder

Rotator cuff injury is the most well-known cause of chronic shoulder pain, but  here are some other causes.

• Arthritis
• Frozen shoulder
• Tendonitis

Interventional options for shoulder pain have the benefits of being outpatient procedures that are minimally invasive and offer faster recovery times.  In many cases, these treatments  eliminate the need for additional surgeries.

• Suprascapular Nerve Block – provides short-term relief
• Suprascapular Nerve Ablation – controls pain for  longer periods
• Transcatheter Arterial Embolization – targets area for reduced pain

Explore Your Options at Our Interventional Pain Management Clinic in Singapore

At the Supreme Vascular and Interventional Clinic in Singapore,  Dr Manish Taneja can help tailor personalized treatment and rehabilitation plans, based on the causes of  the specific joint pains and causes. Our interventional treatments are designed to  improve your strength and mobility, reduce your pain, and get you on the road to a comfortable recovery.  Contact Dr Manish Taneja to schedule an appointment today to learn more about interventional treatment for your chronic joint pain.

Other Health Conditions

Venous Diseases (Varicose Veins)

The Supreme Vascular and Interventional Clinic is your “go-to” facility for various conditions and treatments. To arrange an appointment with Dr. Manish Taneja, our interventional pain management specialist, contact us. You can also call us at (+65) 6904 8084 for a consultation.