A specially trained doctor that diagnoses and treats acute or chronic pain symptoms associated with injury, disease, or disorders.
Michiana: (574) 247-4682 / Toll Free: (800) 589-0441 Marion: (765) 662-0155
What is the difference between interventional and non-interventional pain management?
Non-interventional pain specialists help reduce, manage, or alleviate pain through the use of medications and/or simple injections
Interventional pain specialists utilize a variety of advanced medical procedures approved specifically by the American Medical Association. These pain relieving techniques can include advanced injections, minor surgery, or electrical stimulation. Pain medications are also commonly prescribed as part of a treatment plan.
What special training does a pain management specialist have?
Pain management doctors acquire their skills in a special pain fellowship program usually towards the end of their residency training. Upon completing the program, physicians will receive certification from the American Board of Anesthesiology that recognizes their unique skills.
How do I schedule an appointment?
Patients interested in scheduling a medical consultation are required to have a medical referral from their primary care physician. This is requested to ensure a patient’s medical history, x-rays, and laboratory results are thoroughly examined and properly understood prior to pain management treatment.
What is the office cancellation policy?
If a patient is unable to keep a scheduled appointment, we expect a minimum of 24 hours advance notice. In the event that a patient misses an appointment or does not provide sufficient notification, there will be a $25 penalty charge.
Do the procedures hurt?
Most patients report experiencing some level of discomfort associated with many of the available pain treatments. In order to decrease this discomfort, a local anesthetic is injected prior to the primary injection. Valium is also available for patients, designed to help minimize patient apprehension and pain. After the injection site is numbed and the primary injection is inserted, most people feel pressure sensations.
Can the injections paralyze me?
As with all invasive surgical procedures, there are risks associated with pain treatments. However, the use of a fluoroscopy machine and other advanced live imaging devices help to ensure that there is accurate needle placement. Medical technology, coupled with expertise and experience, has made the chances of paralysis highly improbable.
How many needles will the doctor use?
Most pain treatments include an initial local anesthetic prior to primary needle placement. Some medical treatments require multiple injections to ensure that all problematic areas of the back or neck are properly treated.
What is the doctor injecting me with?
Injections can include anesthetic agents, anti-inflammatory steroid medications, or a combination of these two types of medications.
How will the injection help me?
The effects from pain relieving agents in an injection are often felt immediately. In some instances, depending on a patient's medical diagnosis, the pain relieving effects lesson with time. These cases usually necessitate further injections and general pain management treatment. Anti-inflammatory steroids are designed to help rebuild damaged areas of the body responsible for pain, a process that can take weeks or months. Pain specialists often combine these two medications in an injection to expedite recovery and maximize pain-relief.
How soon will I get relief?
How soon patients experience relief largely depends on their underlying reasons for pain, the accuracy of their current diagnoses, their adherence to physician counsel, and the treatment plan the physician believes is most effective. While certain procedures are performed for diagnostic purposes, having little or no pain relieving effects, most treatments are designed to alleviate pain immediately. However, since most pain conditions are often multifaceted and complex, the majority of patients will require multiple pain treatments for optimal relief.
Can I take my regular medications before treatment?
Since over-the-counter and prescription drugs have the potential to adversely interact with medications and injections, it is imperative that patients inform the physician of all their current medications. The clinician will review these medications, and may choose to modify the treatment plan to avoid pharmacological interactions. To avoid a miscommunication, all new patients are required to complete a form that discloses the medications they are currently taking.
Can I eat or drink before an injection?
Most injections that are performed in the pain clinic require that patients refrain from eating an hour prior to the procedure. If valium is chosen as a sedative prior to treatment, patients should refrain from eating heavy foods three hours before an injection, due to the possibility of stomach upset. Clear liquids, including water and soda (Sprite, 7up, etc...) are acceptable until the time of treatment.
How much can I eat or drink before an injection?
Patients are advised to minimize eating and drinking as much as possible prior to a scheduled injection. These precautions will help avoid complications in the event of nausea before, during, or after a pain treatment session. If patients are required to eat due to an unrelated medical condition, only a small amount of lite foods should be ingested. (Saltines, toast, etc...)
Where will I be injected?
The clinician will consult with you about the procedure he intends to do and the areas of the body that will be treated. Injection sites are primarily located in the back region, with some conditions necessitating direct treatment in the neck, rib, and upper chest areas. Please visit our treatments section for a detailed description of the types of procedures Dr. Glazier performs.
Can I have an injection while feeling ill?
The pain doctor will make this determination based on the type and severity of a patient's illness. If a patient has a contagious flu-like virus with symptoms, the appointment will need to be rescheduled. If an individual is feeling ill due to a minor bacterial condition or a standard cold virus, the clinician might feel comfortable performing the pain treatment as scheduled. It is important for patients to disclose how they are feeling to office staff, and to ask the doctor for guidance in times of uncertainty.
How often can I have pain injections?
The number of times an individual receives injections is largely based upon a patient's current medical condition, medical plan, and response to each treatment session.
What happens if the pain gets worse?
If the pain worsens following a procedure, the doctor may consider an alternative pain treatment approach. Additional diagnostic procedures might also be performed to ensure that the underlying pain causes are clearly understood.
What effects will Valium have on me?
Similar to most other benzodiazepines, common side effects associated with Valium include drowsiness, stomach upset, shakiness, emotional changes, forgetfulness, and instances of limited coordination. If patients choose to use Valium prior to a procedure, they are required to have a friend or relative provide transportation to and from the pain clinic. It is strongly advised that individuals who are administered Valium refrain from driving for 24 hours.
Monday - Friday: 8:30AM - 5:30PM
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