Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Pain Management in Spartanburg, Duncan and Greenville, SC | Physical Therapy

About Our Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Program

Pain management is an important part of orthopaedic care. A Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Physician (PM & R) treats injuries and illnesses related to nerves, muscles, and bones. PM&R physicians treat a wide range of problems and injuries from sore muscles to musculoskeletal injuries. Their goal is to decrease pain and improve performance without surgery.

Non-Surgical Treatments

Epidural Steroid Injections (ESI)

An epidural steroid injection (ESI) is a minimally invasive procedure that can help relieve neck, arm, back, and leg pain caused by inflamed spinal nerves. ESI may be performed to relieve pain caused by spinal stenosis, spondylolysis, or disc degeneration or herniation. The effects of ESI tend to be temporary. Pain relief may last for several days or even years. The goal is to reduce pain so that you may resume normal activities and a physical therapy program.

Learn More About Epidural Steroid Injection (ESI)

Facet Joint Injections

A facet injection is a minimally invasive procedure that can temporarily relieve joint or nerve pain caused by inflamed facet joints. Facet joints are involved in carrying weight through your back/neck and allowing motion of the spine including flexion, extension, and twisting.

Facet mediated pain is often felt as a deep aching sensation in the back or neck that is worse with movement.

Facet joint pain can be caused by numerous factors including arthritis, degenerative disc disease, falls and car accidents. Pain from the facets cannot be diagnosed by x-ray, CT scan, MRI or Bone scan.

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Hip Joint Injections

Hip joint pain is a common complaint and is often related to hip joint osteoarthritis. Commonly hip joint pain is experienced as a deep aching sensation in the groin that is worse with walking or standing.

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Medial Branch Blocks

A medial branch block (MBB) is a minimally invasive diagnostic procedure that can be used to diagnose facet mediated back and neck. Facet joints are in involved in carrying weight through your back/neck and allowing motion of the spine including flexion, extension, and twisting. Facet mediated pain is often felt as a deep aching worse with movement. Facet joint pain can be caused by numerous factors including arthritis degenerative disc disease, falls and car accidents. Facet joints send pain signals through two medial branch nerves. Pain form the facet cannot be diagnosed by x-ray, CT scan, MRI, or Bone scan.

Learn more about Medial Branch Blocks

Sacroiliac Joint Injections

Sacroiliac Joint (SIJ) Disease is one of the major causes of low back pain. The sacroiliac joint is located at the junction between the spine and the pelvis. The sacroiliac joint is a weight-bearing joint as the weight form the upper body transmitted down the spine, through the sacroiliac joint and into the pelvis, hips, and lower extremities. The sacroiliac joint is supported by many muscle groups and ligaments that are richly innervated by free nerve endings and spinal nerve roots. When there is inflammation to the sacroiliac joint the patient may experience intense low back pain. Patients typically complain that the pain associated with sacroiliac joint worsens when sitting for long periods of time or performing twisting motions.

Learn more about Sacroiliac Joint Injections

Depending on the type and cause of pain, it may not be possible to find total relief, and the pain may not improve right away when treatment starts. Our PM&R Physicians are here to help and adjust your pain management plan whenever needed to help achieve the desired results. 

Who Needs Pain Management?

Anyone who experiences pain can benefit from a management plan. Whether someone needs a plan to help with the pain that lasts a few days, such as after an injury or surgery, to long-term pain from disease or chronic health issues, there are options for everyone. 

Pain is typically the most common symptom of a wide range of issues including injuries, infections, diseases, and other health conditions. 

Pain Types and The Cause

Pain can vary in severity and cause. Some pain can result from a disease, from an accident, from treatments such as surgery, while other pain may go away and come back; some pain even has no known cause. The four main types of pain include:

  • Acute – This pain is typically sharp and comes from an injury. Acute pain gets better once the injury or the disease-causing it is treated.
  • Chronic – Pain that lasts longer than six months is considered chronic pain. This type of pain can come from a disease or injury that is left untreated, or from health conditions such as arthritis or nerve damage.
  • Nociceptive – Nerve cell endings are called nociceptors and they send pain signals to the brain when you have an injury. This pain happens when you break a bone, bump your head or pull a muscle and can be short-lived or long-lasting.
  • Neuropathic – Problems with the nervous system cause neuropathic pain. This happens when nerves send pain signals to the brain by mistake, even when there is no damage or injury.

Advantages of Pain Management

A good pain management plan can help someone feel better physically and mentally. Although it isn’t always possible to find total relief from pain, it can be reduced. Many people with chronic pain can then enjoy a better quality of life, even with the slightest change in the degree of their pain. 

There are many treatment options to help with the management of pain. Non-surgical treatments are among the most common, however, surgery is also an option depending on the cause of the pain being treated. See below for some of our non-surgical pain management treatment options.

Physical Therapy Exercises & Forms

(click to download)

Dynamic Lumbar
Stabilization Exercises

(ESI)
Day of Procedure Packet

Greater Trochanteric
Bursitis Exercises

OST Form
PM&R 2019

Pain Assesment
Packet

Post-Procedure
Pain Assessment Diary

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