Epidural Steroid Injection with Imaging Guidance

SJ Pain Associates was established in 2007 however the history of our group dates back into the early 1980s. Some of the first physicians to consider pain management as a special field of medicine were anesthesiologists. They became pioneers in the treatment of pain due to their knowledge of anatomy, nerve pathways and expertise in blocking pain sensation with a variety of injection techniques. These procedures, many of which were part of the basic training of anesthesiologists for surgical anesthesia became the basis for injection treatments of pain; acute, chronic and cancer.

Pain Management in the 1980s was almost exclusively injection therapy, generally performed without the benefit of guidance such as C-Arm x-ray. Expert pain management is now multidimensional. It involves the use of pain blocking procedures and surgeries but also expertise in medication management, active physical therapies and the psychoemotional aspects of living with pain. Over the last three decades we have witnessed tremendous growth of the specialty. The experience of helping persons with terminal cancer pain and other critical diagnoses has also lead to expertise in the field of hospice and palliative care, one of the newest subspecialties in medicine. Hospice and Palliative Care relates not only to the treatment of pain but also the goal of helping patients and families achieve the care that best meets their wishes at the end of life. This field was a natural fit for our group, tying in with our role helping patients and families manage pain and suffering.

Pain management is no longer just injections. It is a multifaceted, comprehensive approach to alleviating suffering. As we continue to learn more about pain, its causes, and mechanisms and how it affects those who suffer with it, we strive to provide the safest, most effective and up to date treatments for our patients.