Glossary of Pain Terms

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• Acute Pain

  Acute pain encompasses all forms of sudden, onset pain that last for a short period of time, typically being less than six months. This pain usually has a set cause, such as breaking a bone, and goes away after the condition has healed.

• Analgesic

  An analgesic is a type of medication that is specifically designed for the management or treatment of a particular type of pain.

• Anesthetic

  An anesthetic is a type of medication that causes numbness of pain in a targeted area.

• Anti-Inflammatory

  An anti-inflammatory is a type of drug used to reduce the inflammation rooted from a variety of pain conditions.

• Cancer Pain

  Cancer pain is pain that is usually caused by a tumor pressing on the bones, nerves or other parts of the body. It can be caused as a direct result of a cancer treatment.

• Central Nervous System

  The central nervous system consists of the brain and the spinal cord. It is responsible for combining information and coordinating activity throughout the entire body.

• Cervical Spine

  The cervical spine is the area of the vertebral column known as the neck. It is composed of seven vertebrae.

• Facet Joint

  Facet joints are a set of synovial, plane joints that are located between the articular processes of two adjacent vertebrae.

• Inflammation

  Inflammation is a reaction of the tissues in response to injury or disease. It is associated with swelling, redness, heat and pain. In some cases, it is not evident in chronic pain conditions.

• Interventional Pain Management

  Interventional pain management consists of using techniques, such as injections and radiofrequency rhizotomy, to directly address the source of your pain. These methods tend to play a role in a multi-disciplinary approach of pain relief. To accomplish this, they are used alongside physical therapy and prescription medication as a holistic and personalized means of finding pain relief.

• Intervertebral Disc

  Intervertebral discs consist of the discs that lie between adjacent vertebrae in the vertebral column. Each joint forms a fibrocartilaginous joint that allows slight movement of the vertebrae and acts as a ligament to hold the vertebrae together.

• Lumbar Spine

  The lumbar spine is the part of the spine composed of five vertebral bodies that extend from the lower thoracic spine (chest) to the sacrum (bottom of the spine). It essentially refers to your lower back.

• Minimally Invasive Procedure

  Minimally invasive procedures consist of a variety of techniques used by physicians to operate with less damage to the body than open surgery. These methods, in general, are associated with less pain and fewer complications.

• Nerve Block

  A nerve block is a type of anesthetic or anti-inflammatory injection that “blocks” a pain signal coming from a specific nerve. This technique could be used for diagnostic or pain relief purposes.

• Non-invasive Procedure

  A non-invasive procedure is a conservative type of treatment that does not require any incision into the body or tissue removal.

• Peripheral Nervous System

  The peripheral nervous system consists of nerves that lie outside of the central nervous system, or the brain and spinal cord.

• Referred Pain

  Referred pain is characterized by pain felt at a location other than its origin. This type of pain is the result of a network of interconnecting sensory nerves.

• Thoracic Spine

  The thoracic spine is the longest region of the spine, connecting the cervical spine (neck) and the lumbar spine (lower back). This is the only spinal region attached to the ribcage.

• Vertebral Column

  The vertebral column is composed of 33 vertebrae and is what makes up the spine.

• Arthritis

  Arthritis is a way of referring to joint pain or joint disease. There are more than 100 different types of arthritis and related conditions. Common symptoms include swelling, pain, stiffness and decreased range of motion.

• Central Pain Syndrome

  Central pain syndrome is a neurological condition that is caused by damage to the central nervous system, including the brain and the spinal cord.

• Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

  Complex regional pain syndrome is a chronic pain condition that is caused by damage or malfunction of the central and peripheral nervous systems.

• Fibromyalgia

  Fibromyalgia is a condition categorized by widespread musculoskeletal pain. Specialists believe that it amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way your brain processes pain signals.

• Herniated Disc

  Herniated disc refers to a problem of one of the discs located between the vertebrae of the spine. This can cause an irritation of nerves and result in pain, numbness or weakness in an arm or leg. Most occur in the lumbar spine, but they can also occur in the cervical spine.

• Joint Pain

  Joint pain is classified as discomfort, pain or inflammation arising from any part of the joint. This includes cartilage, ligaments, tendons, or muscles. It most commonly refers to arthritis or arthralgia.

• Kyphosis

  Kyphosis refers to an exaggerated, forward rounding of the back. This condition can occur at any age, but is most commonly found in older women.

• Lower Back Pain

  Lower back pain is a common, painful condition affecting the lower region of the back. It can be a result of a variety of different conditions such as sprains and strains, intervertebral disc degeneration, radiculopathy, sciatica or a traumatic injury.

• Meralgia Paresthetica

  Meralgia paresthetica is a condition known for causing tingling, numbness and burning pain in your outer thigh. It is caused by a compression of the nerve that supplies sensation to the skin surface of your thigh.

• Neck Pain

  Neck pain typically occurs as a result of any strain of the neck muscles. It happens due to poor posture, fibromyalgia, herniated disks or trauma from accident or falls.

• Nerve Pain

  Nerve pain consists of all pain conditions involving damage or disease to the somatosensory nervous system. It can be caused by shingles, cancer, diabetes or physical injuries.

• Peripheral Vascular Disease

  Peripheral vascular disease is a type of blood circulation disorder that causes the blood vessels outside of your heart and brain to narrow, block or spasm.

• Radiculopathy

  Radiculopathy is an irritation or injury to the nerve root that cases pain, numbness or weakness to the body, usually involving all parts of the body supplied with nerves from that root.

• Sciatica

  Sciatica is known as being back pain rooted from a problem of the sciatic nerve, which runs down one or both legs from the lower back. When pressure is put on the sciatic nerve, it can lead to pain in the lower back that spreads to the hip, buttocks and leg.

• Scoliosis

  Scoliosis is known as being a sideways curvature of the spine that is most often diagnosed in childhood and adolescence.

• Shingles

  Shingles is a type of viral infection that causes an outbreak of a painful rash. Although it can occur anywhere on your body, it most frequently appears as a single stripe of blisters that wraps around the left or right side of your torso.

• Discography

  Discography is a diagnostic procedure used to identify conditions causing lower back or neck pain. It is performed by injecting a dye directly into the region where abnormal spinal disks are believed to be located. If the patient experiences an increase in pain similar to the initial pain at the injection site, then it means the discogram has pointed out the problem.

• Epidural Steroid Injections

  An epidural steroid injection is essentially a local anesthetic and a steroid injected into the epidural space, the area located outside of the membrane covering the spinal cord and its nerves. These injections reduce inflammation and pain in the nerve roots as they exit the spine. This type of treatment can significantly help reduce pain, but typically more than one is needed.

• Facet Joint

  Facet joints are a set of synovial, plane joints that are located between the articular processes of two adjacent vertebrae.

• Facet Joint Injection

  A facet joint injection is when a small dose of local anesthetic and steroid is injected into your facet joint to block pain. It is typically used for to diagnose the cause and location of pain, but can also be used for pain tolerance. This injection is not typically meant to be a long-term solution to pain, but is an effective means of relief.

• Genicular Nerve Block

  A genicular nerve block is an injection of a local anesthetic into the genicular nerves. It is a minimally invasive procedure used for diagnostic purposes and to block nerves that transmit pain to the knees. It can determine if the pathologic changes and inflammation within the knee joint is the source of your pain, and will give you relief for several hours if it works.

• Kyphoplasty/Vertebroplasty

  Kyphoplasty and Vertebroplasty are minimally invasive treatment methods that are performed on those suffering from vertebral compression fractures. These kinds of fractures result from a collapsed or deteriorated spine vertebra and usually occur in individuals who have osteoporosis. These procedures are typically recommended if the condition does not improve from alternate methods, such as a back brace or bed rest.

• Lumbar Facet Nerve Block

  Lumbar facet nerve blocks are administered along the sides of the spine. These blocks can be used for therapeutic purposes, to block pain or for diagnosis to confirm if the back is the cause of the issue. Depending on the severity of pain, more than one injection may be needed.

• Lumbar Sympathetic Block

  Lumbar sympathetic blocks consist of injections of a local anesthetic to relieve pain by injection into or around the area of the lumbar sympathetic nerves. It typically helps relieve pain of the lower back, buttocks or leg.

• Medial Branch Block

  A medial branch is an injection that is administered into the facet joints of the spine, in a manner similar to a facet joint injection. This treatment option temporarily reduces the inflammation and irritation of the facet joints. If this form of relief is successful, it means a more long-term pain solution may be implemented.

• Radiofrequency Ablation

  Radiofrequency ablation is a type of therapy that uses radio waves to create an electrical current in order to relieve pain. This is done by delivering heat to target nerve tissues in an attempt to control chronic pain symptoms. This heat impairs and destroys nerves, which results in a semi-permanent blocking of pain signals from the spine to the brain.

• Sacroiliac Injection

  Sacroiliac injections are administered directly into the sacroiliac joint, located at the bottom of the spine. These injections can be used to relieve pain or as a diagnostic tool. They can also potentially relieve pain up to 48 hours with a steroid medication, or a few hours with a local anesthetic.

• Sciatic Nerve Block

  A sciatic nerve block is a minimally invasive procedure for patients who suffer severe sciatic nerve pain or those who are still enduring this pain despite conservative treatment attempts. It accomplishes this by blocking the transfer of sensory information from the lower extremities of the spinal cord and brain.

• Spinal Cord Stimulation

  Spinal cord stimulation is a treatment typically used for managing chronic neuropathic pain. It delivers low-level electrical impulses to the epidural space with the goal of overriding pain signals the brain would be receiving from the peripheral nerves.

• Stellate Ganglion Block

  A stellate ganglion block is an injection administered into the sympathetic nerves found in the neck area. The stellate ganglion is responsible for regulating blood flow as well as sensory processing for the head, neck and chest. These blocks are typically used to treat symptoms that fall into two primary categories: conditions of arterial vascular insufficiency and pain conditions.

• Trigger Point Injection

  Trigger point injections are administered to inactivate trigger points causing muscle spasms and inflammation in one localized area. They can occur in various regions in the body but are commonly seen in the upper back, shoulders, or lower back regions. This minimally invasive procedure decreases pain by reducing swelling and inflammation of the tissue surrounding the nerve.