Procedures

Epidural steroid injection (cervical, thoracic, lumbar and caudal): These are used to relieve pain due to nerve irritation resulting from spinal stenosis, herniated or torn discs. It can be used to treat both axial low back pain and radicular pain. A small amount of steroid is injected where it is needed for long-term pain relief.

Transforaminal Epidural (Steroid Injection): Based on your medical history, physical exam and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) findings, often a specific inflamed nerve root can be identified. A Selective Nerve Root Block (SNRB) can then be placed within a specific nerve root sheath to relieve pain.

We follow evidence-based guidelines in our practice and we are conscientious about limiting our injections to no more than three in six months or four in a year. Excessive steroids can put a patient at risk for skeletal fractures and avascular necrosis.

Facet Injections and Medical Branch Blocks: Medial branches innervate the facet joint. The presence of arthritis on MRI does not always correlate with a patient’s pain. Pain relief with a medial branch block confirms that the facet joint is the source of pain. We numb the medial branches with local anesthetic at each facet joint that we target. If this relieves the patient’s pain, it confirms that this is the source of pain.

Radiofrequency Lesioning (Rhizotomy): If the medial branch blocks relieve the patient’s pain, it confirms the source of pain. We then use radiofrequency waves to enervate the medial branches. This gives the patient long-term pain relief of six months to two years duration. The medial branches eventually regenerate and the pain may return. This approach is appropriate for a number of pain conditions such as pain of the facet joint, disc, sympathetically mediated pain, sacroiliac joint pain and nociceptive radicular pain.

Sacroiliac (SI) joint injection: The SI joint is the joint that connects the sacrum and iliac bones to form your pelvis. Pain elsewhere, causing gait changes or arthritis are common causes of SI joint pain. SI joint pain is often confused with hip pain, low back pain, gluteal pain or posterior thigh pain. SI joint pain may be responsible for up to 15 percent of patients with lower back pain. Sacroiliitis is treated with steroid injections.

Nerve Blocks: Our goal is to aggressively manage pain with a series of blocks in conjunction with rigorous Physical Therapy to alter the course of the disease. Blocks are used for instances of neuralgic pain caused by injury or disease, including neuropathy, surgical injuries to nerves, and other conditions.

Regenerative Injection Therapy

An Alternative Approach to Healing

Do you have Orthopedic Pain?

Are you an athlete that is anxious to return to activities and is looking to avoid surgical intervention?  You may be an ideal candidate for cell-based therapy. Through regenerative medicine, a person can take advantage of their body’s ability to heal itself in a safe and effective manner. William Bentley, D.O. and Hunterdon Medical Center’s Center for Advanced Pain Management is proud to offer our community cutting edge regenerative medicine care.

Cell-based therapy has shown great promise in treating the following conditions:

• Lumbar Disc Regeneration
• Osteoarthritis
• Neuropathy
• Ligament Injuries
• Tendonitis
• Muscle Sprains and Strains
• Non-Healing Fractures
• Plantar fasciitis
• Sports Injuries

Patients with the following conditions are not candidates for this procedure: platelet dysfunction syndrome, critical thrombocytopenia, septicemia, infection, fever, recently received a cortisone injection and bone cancer.

What is Regenerative Therapy?

The promising field of regenerative medicine is enhancing your body’s own ability to heal and restore function following an injury or a chronic problem. It uses naturally occurring properties that direct cellular metabolism towards tissue regeneration or healing. Various growth factors, cytokines, exosomes, and undifferentiated cells work in unison to support the regenerative process.

What are the Benefits of Regenerative Therapy?

• Decreased pain
• Quicker recovery time
• Alternative to surgical intervention
• Increased healing potential
• Elimination of long term medication

Does insurance cover Regenerative Therapy injections?

While stem cells have been used for decades to treat a variety of diseases, their application in the treatment of pain is relatively new. Because of this, insurance companies do not currently cover the therapy. Hunterdon Medical Center does offer a payment plan assistance program.

How long before I see results?

Following your cell-based therapy injection, you can expect a decrease in pain and an increase in strength and stability.  Most patients only require a single injection. As with all orthopedic treatments, the results will vary. Most patients can expect to return to pre-injection activities within 72 hours. Our hope is that you will experience an improvement in your symptoms at three weeks. Your body will continue to work and heal itself faster for up to six months following the injection.

Spinal Cord Stimulation: This procedure is at the forefront of interventional pain management techniques. A mild pleasant electrical sensation replaces painful sensation and minimizes the perception of pain. Small thin electrodes are passed percutaneously (via needle puncture) into the epidural space in the region corresponding to the patient’s pain. A generator is implanted into a patient’s body. Via an external remote control, the intensity and location of the stimulus can be changed and the device can be turned on and off. In addition to low back pain and extremity nerve pain, it has many indications and can help patients with chronic pain that have exhausted other options. It can be used for lower back pain, persistent extremity nerve pain, CRPS type I & II, chronic abdominal pain, phantom limb pain, peripheral vascular disease, and diabetic neuropathy.

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS): In CRPS, there is sensitivity to touch, allodynia (sensitivity to touch, light or temperature), vascular changes, edema and discoloration, and severe pain that if left untreated, could result in disuse and atrophy. Stellate Ganglion Blocks are used for referral of CRPS.

Coccydynia and Ganglion Impar Block: Ganglion impar is the terminal branch of the sympathetic chain. It carries somatic nerve fibers and is used to treat pain arising from coccyx or perineal region. A nerve block of the Ganglion impar can give significant pain relief.

Joint Injections (shoulder, hip and knee injections): These are done with ultrasound guidance. They are used as a diagnosis and treatment procedure for arthritis.

Epidural steroid injection (cervical, thoracic, lumbar and caudal): These are used to relieve pain due to nerve irritation resulting from spinal stenosis, herniated or torn discs. It can be used to treat both axial low back pain and radicular pain. A small amount of steroid is injected where it is needed for long-term pain relief.

Radiofrequency Lesioning (Rhizotomy): If the medial branch blocks relieve the patient’s pain, it confirms the source of pain. We then use radiofrequency waves to enervate the medial branches. This gives the patient long-term pain relief of six months to two years duration. The medial branches eventually regenerate and the pain may return. This approach is appropriate for a number of pain conditions such as pain of the facet joint, disc, sympathetically mediated pain, sacroiliac joint pain and nociceptive radicular pain.

Discography is a diagnostic procedure in which x-ray dye is injected under gentle pressure into the discs of the spine. Based on the presence or absence of pain during the injection of dye, your doctor may be able to determine if the disc is responsible for your pain symptoms.

Intrathecal Electrothermal Therapy: This is an option for patients with discogenic pain who want to avoid surgery. The heat is meant to kill the nerve fibers and toughen the disc tissue, sealing any small tears. Currently, it is not covered by insurance.

Coccydynia and Ganglion Impar Block: Ganglion impar is the terminal branch of the sympathetic chain. It carries somatic nerve fibers and is used to treat pain arising from coccyx or perineal region. A nerve block of the Ganglion impar can give significant pain relief.

Facet Injections and Medical Branch Blocks: Medial branches innervate the facet joint. The presence of arthritis on MRI does not always correlate with a patient’s pain. Pain relief with a medial branch block confirms that the facet joint is the source of pain. We numb the medial branches with local anesthetic at each facet joint that we target. If this relieves the patient’s pain, it confirms that this is the source of pain.

Bursa Injections: These are done in the shoulder, hip and knee for bursitis.

Intrathecal Pump Implantation: Applicable for instances of chronic and intractable pain. We use opioids as a last resort for cancer pain and baclofen for severe spasticity. A programmable depot of medication is continuously delivered to the spinal space, which gives potent pain relief with minimal side effects.

Epidural steroid injection (cervical, thoracic, lumbar and caudal): These are used to relieve pain due to nerve irritation resulting from spinal stenosis, herniated or torn discs. It can be used to treat both axial low back pain and radicular pain. A small amount of steroid is injected where it is needed for long-term pain relief.

Radiofrequency Lesioning (Rhizotomy): If the medial branch blocks relieve the patient’s pain, it confirms the source of pain. We then use radiofrequency waves to enervate the medial branches. This gives the patient long-term pain relief of six months to two years duration. The medial branches eventually regenerate and the pain may return. This approach is appropriate for a number of pain conditions such as pain of the facet joint, disc, sympathetically mediated pain, sacroiliac joint pain and nociceptive radicular pain.

Sacroiliac (SI) joint injection: The SI joint is the joint that connects the sacrum and iliac bones to form your pelvis. Pain elsewhere, causing gait changes or arthritis are common causes of SI joint pain. SI joint pain is often confused with hip pain, low back pain, gluteal pain or posterior thigh pain. SI joint pain may be responsible for up to 15 percent of patients with lower back pain. Sacroiliitis is treated with steroid injections.

Epidural steroid injection (cervical, thoracic, lumbar and caudal): These are used to relieve pain due to nerve irritation resulting from spinal stenosis, herniated or torn discs. It can be used to treat both axial low back pain and radicular pain. A small amount of steroid is injected where it is needed for long-term pain relief.

Celiac Plexus Blocks are injections of pain medication that help relieve abdominal pain, commonly due to cancer or chronic pancreatitis.

Epidural steroid injection (cervical, thoracic, lumbar and caudal): These are used to relieve pain due to nerve irritation resulting from spinal stenosis, herniated or torn discs. It can be used to treat both axial low back pain and radicular pain. A small amount of steroid is injected where it is needed for long-term pain relief.

Radiofrequency Lesioning (Rhizotomy): If the medial branch blocks relieve the patient’s pain, it confirms the source of pain. We then use radiofrequency waves to enervate the medial branches. This gives the patient long-term pain relief of six months to two years duration. The medial branches eventually regenerate and the pain may return. This approach is appropriate for a number of pain conditions such as pain of the facet joint, disc, sympathetically mediated pain, sacroiliac joint pain and nociceptive radicular pain.

Intrathecal Electrothermal Therapy: This is an option for patients with discogenic pain who want to avoid surgery. The heat is meant to kill the nerve fibers and toughen the disc tissue, sealing any small tears. Currently, it is not covered by insurance.

Coccydynia and Ganglion Impar Block: Ganglion impar is the terminal branch of the sympathetic chain. It carries somatic nerve fibers and is used to treat pain arising from coccyx or perineal region. A nerve block of the Ganglion impar can give significant pain relief.

Facet Injections and Medical Branch Blocks: Medial branches innervate the facet joint. The presence of arthritis on MRI does not always correlate with a patient’s pain. Pain relief with a medial branch block confirms that the facet joint is the source of pain. We numb the medial branches with local anesthetic at each facet joint that we target. If this relieves the patient’s pain, it confirms that this is the source of pain.

Intrathecal Pump Implantation: Applicable for instances of chronic and intractable pain. We use opioids as a last resort for cancer pain and baclofen for severe spasticity. A programmable depot of medication is continuously delivered to the spinal space, which gives potent pain relief with minimal side effects.

Epidural steroid injection (cervical, thoracic, lumbar and caudal): These are used to relieve pain due to nerve irritation resulting from spinal stenosis, herniated or torn discs. It can be used to treat both axial low back pain and radicular pain. A small amount of steroid is injected where it is needed for long-term pain relief.

Radiofrequency Lesioning (Rhizotomy): If the medial branch blocks relieve the patient’s pain, it confirms the source of pain. We then use radiofrequency waves to enervate the medial branches. This gives the patient long-term pain relief of six months to two years duration. The medial branches eventually regenerate and the pain may return. This approach is appropriate for a number of pain conditions such as pain of the facet joint, disc, sympathetically mediated pain, sacroiliac joint pain and nociceptive radicular pain.

Sacroiliac (SI) joint injection: The SI joint is the joint that connects the sacrum and iliac bones to form your pelvis. Pain elsewhere, causing gait changes or arthritis are common causes of SI joint pain. SI joint pain is often confused with hip pain, low back pain, gluteal pain or posterior thigh pain. SI joint pain may be responsible for up to 15 percent of patients with lower back pain. Sacroiliitis is treated with steroid injections.

Spinal Cord Stimulation: This procedure is at the forefront of interventional pain management techniques. A mild pleasant electrical sensation replaces painful sensation and minimizes the perception of pain. Small thin electrodes are passed percutaneously (via needle puncture) into the epidural space in the region corresponding to the patient’s pain. A generator is implanted into a patient’s body. Via an external remote control, the intensity and location of the stimulus can be changed and the device can be turned on and off. In addition to low back pain and extremity nerve pain, it has many indications and can help patients with chronic pain that have exhausted other options. It can be used for lower back pain, persistent extremity nerve pain, CRPS type I & II, chronic abdominal pain, phantom limb pain, peripheral vascular disease, and diabetic neuropathy.

Joint Injections (shoulder, hip and knee injections): These are done with ultrasound guidance. They are used as a diagnosis and treatment procedure for arthritis.

Trigger point Injections: These are administered to alleviate painful areas of muscle, like that of myofascial pain. It is used to separate muscle fibers and increase blood flow and dilute the pain substances.

Joint Injections (shoulder, hip and knee injections): These are done with image guidance. They are used as a diagnosis and treatment procedure for arthritis.

Celiac Plexus Blocks are injections of pain medication that help relieve abdominal pain, commonly due to cancer or chronic pancreatitis.

Epidural steroid injection (cervical, thoracic, lumbar and caudal): These are used to relieve pain due to nerve irritation resulting from spinal stenosis, herniated or torn discs. It can be used to treat both axial low back pain and radicular pain. A small amount of steroid is injected where it is needed for long-term pain relief.

Piriformis injection: Piriformis muscle spasms cause compression of the sciatic nerve. In Piriformis syndrome, the piriformis muscle impinges upon the sciatic nerve. Piriformis injection with ultrasound guidance is used to treat piriformis syndrome.

Epidural Blood Patch: This is used to treat spinal headache resulting from a spinal tap, spinal injection, inadvertent Dural puncture due to epidural or surgery. We inject a patient’s blood into the epidural space to relieve pain.

Discography is a diagnostic procedure in which x-ray dye is injected under gentle pressure into the discs of the spine. Based on the presence or absence of pain during the injection of dye, your doctor may be able to determine if the disc is responsible for your pain symptoms.