As cancer treatment has evolved, so has our ability to enhance quality of life at any stage of the disease. The Spine Diagnostic & Pain Treatment Center in Baton Rouge approaches each patient’s pain individually and makes constant adjustments as his or her needs change.
We have achieved great success at controlling cancer pain by using a combination of pain medications and interventional therapies. Some of the adjuvant medications prescribed may include tricyclic antidepressants, antihistamines, anti-anxiety drugs, amphetamines, anticonvulsants, and steroids.
Although a relatively high percentage of cancer pain is successfully treated with oral medication, other therapies also are available at The Spine Diagnostic & Pain Treatment Center.
Epidural analgesia is an effective and safe means of providing pain relief for cancer patients. Abdominal cancers can be treated with hypogastric plexus and celiac plexus nerve blocks.
A nerve block is a procedure where a local anesthetic, sometimes combined with a steroid, is injected into or around a nerve to block pain. After the injection, the nerve is no longer able to relay pain signals to the brain.
Neurostimulation refers to various treatments that use electrotherapy to shut off pain signals in the central nervous system, especially for spinal cord tumors. Two common types of neurostimulation are intradiscal electrothermal therapy (IDET) and spinal cord stimulation, both of which are nonsurgical treatments.
An intrathecal infusion pump may also be an option for chronic cancer-related pain. An electronic device is surgically implanted on the spine to deliver pain medication through a small catheter.
To schedule a consultation for yourself or a loved one, please contact The Spine Diagnostic & Pain Treatment Center at one of our six Baton Rouge-area locations.