What We Treat
At Georgia Pain Associates, we treat a wide range of chronic pain conditions, including:
| Back Pain and Neck Pain |
| Herniated Discs |
| Degenerative Joint Disease |
| Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis * |
| Sciatica and Radiculopathy |
| Shingles and Post-Herpetic Neuralgia |
| Failed Back (post-laminectomy) Syndrome |
| Complex Regional Pain Syndrome / Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy |
| Peripheral Neuropathy |
| Arm and Leg Pain |
| Nerve Pain / Neuropathy |
| Cancer-Related Pain |
| Coccydynia – Tailbone Pain |
| Fibromyalgia |
| Headaches (cluster, tension, migraine) ** |
| Chronic Muscle Spasm and Contracture |
| Muscular Injuries |
| Interstitial Cystitis *** |
| Spondylolisthesis – Slipped Vertebra |
| Spondylolysis – Stress Fracture of Vertebra |
| Trigeminal and Occipital Neuralgia ** |
* with consultation and co-management by a Rheumatologist
** with consultation and co-management by a Neurologist
*** with consultation and co-management by a Urologist
Treatments
Medication Management
Provides pain control and improves the patient’s quality of life. Medication may be used alone or in conjunction with invasive and noninvasive treatments.
| PAIN MEDICINES | Opioid pain medications are safe and effective when used properly by trained physicians in a controlled setting. They are often used to treat acute pain or cancer-related pain, but may be prescribed for non-cancer-related chronic pain in conjunction with other treatment modalities, or after other treatments have failed. |
| ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUGS | Over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen sodium are the most commonly used medications of this type. They not only reduce swelling and inflammation but can also relieve pain. Prescription NSAIDs are also available, such as Mobic (meloxicam) and diclofenac. |
| ANTI-DEPRESSANTS | Originally used only to treat depression, studies have shown that these medications can alleviate pain in certain situations. Furthermore, they may have the added benefit of helping the patient to sleep at night, which is extremely important in alleviating pain and regaining function. Examples of these medications include Cymbalta (duloxetine), trazodone and nortriptyline. |
| ANTI-SEIZURE MEDICATIONS | These medications may help relieve certain types of pain by reducing abnormal electrical discharges in damaged nerves. Examples of these medications include Neurontin (gabapentin) and Lyrica (pregabalin). |
| TOPICAL MEDICATIONS | You may be prescribed other types of medications that are more specific to the type of pain that you are experiencing, such as topical preparations containing anesthetics, NSAIDs or corticosteroids. |
| MUSCLE RELAXERS | In certain situations, we may prescribe muscle relaxers such as baclofen or cyclobenzaprine. |
Trigger Point Injections
Trigger points are areas of pain, spasm, and inflammation located in certain muscle groups. Trigger points most commonly occur in the upper back and shoulder muscles but may also occur in the lower back or, less commonly, in the extremities. By injecting these trigger points with a local anesthetic, usually coupled with a steroid, we are able to help alleviate the discomfort associated with this painful condition. This safe and effective procedure requires no sedation and is performed in the physician’s office.
Epidural Steroid Injections, Facet Joint Injections, and Nerve Blocks
Epidural Steroid Injections (ESIs) involve injecting an anesthetic and corticosteroid into the epidural space surrounding certain nerves of the spinal cord with the goal of alleviating pain. This procedure is performed at our Norcross location and can be a very effective non-surgical method of pain control due to herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, and compression fractures.
In the same way, Facet Joint Injections have been effective tools for the treatment of back pain associated with degenerative arthritis of the spinal facet joints.
Selective nerve root blocks may also be performed to help diagnose and treat pain from individual nerve roots.
Physical Therapy
We work with local Physical Therapists to provide effective non-surgical treatment utilizing specialized exercise regimens, heat and cold treatment, aquatic therapy, kinesiotaping, manual/massage therapy, and other proven physical therapy modalities.
Locations
Our Pain Management centers are conveniently located in Canton, Norcross, and Braselton, Georgia. There are Imaging Centers and Physical Therapists nearby, in some cases, located in the same building.
Georgia Pain Associates has all of the Pain Management services that you need under one roof. To see one of our pain specialists, call the office nearest to you.