Pain Management

Pain hurts, and it often goes beyond the physical hurt. Pain can rob you of your ability to engage in work and the activities you enjoy. But there is hope, and we can help.

As the region’s largest and most experienced pain management program, we can work with you to develop a treatment plan to manage your pain and help you get back to the things that matter most, including everyday activities. Our doctors – board-certified and trained in both anesthesiology and pain management – use the most advanced pain management techniques, often without the need for surgery.

If you are an existing patient, please call your clinic directly to make an appointment.

Pain Management Conditions We Treat

We have expertise in treating a range of conditions and pain syndromes, including:

• Back and neck pain
• Post-surgery pain
• Sciatica
• Musculoskeletal and joint pain
• Myofascial pain syndrome
• Sports injuries
• Arthritis
• Cancer-related pain
• Complex regional pain syndrome (RSD)
• Shingles (postherpetic neuralgia)
• Neuropathic or nerve pain
• Migraine and other headaches
• Work-related injuries

What Sets Our Pain Management Program Apart?

Expertise and specialized training

Pain is complex to treat, but we’re here for you. By seeing one of our pain management specialists, you can rest assured that we’ll listen to your concerns and develop a customized plan to manage your pain.

Our doctors are specially trained and double board-certified in anesthesiology/ neurology and pain management. And the large number of patients we see – more than 60,000 each year – means more pain management experience that we put to work for you.

Advanced, personalized treatment

Through our pain management clinics, you gain access to a full array of treatment options, including the most advanced treatments and technologies available.

We’ll work with you to develop a treatment plan based on your personal health history, symptoms and goals. We carefully assess your pain as well as how it affects your daily function (what you’re able to do and not do as a result) and social and emotional well-being.

Convenience

As a hospital-based pain management program, we give you access to a broad range of other services, including physical and occupational therapy, more intensive management of underlying conditions and mental health support services.

We make it easy for you to get the pain care you need by offering:

• 10 locations in the Charlotte area
• Same-day or next-day appointments
• Procedure rooms in every clinic so you can easily receive treatments during your visit

Pain Management Treatments

When you come to one of our clinics, you’ll gain access to the best pain management option available for your specific case.

As a first step, our pain management experts will take a careful medical history and examine you to identify the cause and triggers of your pain and understand how it affects your functionality. We then devise a personal care plan tailored to your specific condition and other important considerations.

There are a number of treatment options, and most people will benefit from a combination of approaches. We focus most often on conservative therapies, such as medication and injections, and a majority of patients find relief without the need for surgery.

Some of the pain management therapies we offer are below.

• Medication review and management ensures the medicines you're taking provide optimal relief.
• Spinal cord stimulators are implantable devices that help treat chronic pain, especially in the trunk or limbs. The technique involves placing electrodes similar to those in a pacemaker in the spine. Low levels of electrical pulses help alter pain signals.
• Radiofrequency ablation is used to temporarily interrupt the nerves that are signaling pain sensations.
• Injections are used to deliver medicine to the source of the pain.
• Epidural steroid injections deliver anti-inflammatory medicine directly into the spine.
• Joint injections place medicine into a joint to lessen pain and increase range of motion. These are most often used for knees, hips and shoulders.
• Trigger point injections treat muscle pain, trigger points or knots that form when muscles don’t relax. These injections are most often done in the knees, hips and shoulders.
• Nerve blocks can provide pain relief by blocking pain signals coming from a nerve or group of nerves thought to be causing pain to a specific part of the body. There are many types of nerve block injections depending on the location of the pain.
• Botox is a medicine that can help relax and relieve muscle-related pain and improve range of motion.
• Counseling may be offered to help you cope with pain and learn about useful resources.

When needed, our experts are also able to make a referral for other supportive care, including physical therapy through Carolinas Rehabilitation with therapists specially trained in treating pain.

Pain Management Locations

Professional services for the following locations are provided by Southeast Pain and Spine Care:

Professional services for the following location provided by NorthEast Anesthesia and Pain Specialists: