Advanced technology and innovative procedures offer relief to those living with chronic pain.

Our Pain Medicine division has had significant success helping people who suffer from severe, chronic pain, who have not responded well to other pain control methods. This group includes people with failed back syndrome, cancer pain, or RSD; and those with spinal cord injuries. In addition to more common syndromes such as arthritic back pain.

Some patients may require special interventions. While their pain may respond to oral drug therapy, they either do not achieve adequate relief, or cannot tolerate the side effects of the pain drug at effective doses. These individuals may benefit from advanced spinal cord stimulation techniques, or intraspinal drug infusion therapy.

Our specialists are fellowship trained in Pain Medicine and have an active role in the education of future pain specialists. They are also involved in research to pioneer innovative therapies that can found in no other hospital. Our minimally-invasive procedures include:

• Spinal cord stimulation ( SCS): introduced in 1967 by University Hospitals physician Dr. Norman Shealy, this procedure has helped thousands of people with chronic pain, worldwide. SCS stimulates the spinal cord with tiny electrical pulses which interfere with the transmission of pain signals to the brain, therefore reducing the sensation of pain.
• Intrathecal pump implants: a computerized device, which delivers concentrated amounts of medication(s) into the spinal cord area via a small catheter (tubing).
• Sacroiliac Joint Injection
• Peripheral Nerve
• Intercostal Nerve
• Lumbar Sympathetic Nerve