The Pain Management Brief
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: Recognizing the Signs and When to See a Pain Specialist
A calm, patient-focused overview of complex regional pain syndrome, how the condition is evaluated, and the point at which a referral to a pain specialist becomes appropriate.
Vertebral Compression Fracture Symptoms: When to Seek an Evaluation
Learn to recognize the signs of a possible vertebral compression fracture, how sudden and gradual back pain patterns differ, who faces higher risk, and when a specialist evaluation is warranted.
Radiofrequency Ablation for Chronic Back Pain: What to Expect
A patient-prep walkthrough of radiofrequency ablation for chronic back pain, covering candidacy after a diagnostic block, the procedure day, and the recovery window.
Chronic Shoulder Pain: When to See a Pain Specialist
How persistent shoulder pain is evaluated, the conservative steps that usually come first, and what to expect at an initial pain-management consultation.
Shoulder Genicular Nerve Rhizotomy: How Candidacy Is Evaluated
A patient-prep look at how a pain specialist decides whether persistent shoulder joint pain may be suited to genicular nerve rhizotomy, including the diagnostic block step.
Medial Branch Block for Diagnostic Back Pain Evaluation: What to Expect
A patient-prep walkthrough of the diagnostic medial branch block: why the clinical team orders it before considering facet rhizotomy, how the appointment unfolds, and how providers interpret the respo
Knee Genicular Nerve Rhizotomy: A Candidate Evaluation Guide
Understand how the clinical team evaluates candidates for genicular nerve rhizotomy, including the diagnostic block, candidacy criteria, and what the consultation typically covers.
Lumbar Spinal Stenosis and the mild Procedure: How Candidacy Is Evaluated
How pain specialists evaluate lumbar spinal stenosis patients for the mild procedure: imaging review, symptom pattern, and conservative-care history.
Occipital Nerve Blocks: A Patient Consultation Guide
A practical overview of what occipital nerve block consultations cover, who may be a candidate, how the procedure is performed, and what to expect during recovery and follow-up with the clinical team.
Balloon Kyphoplasty: A Patient Guide to Vertebral Compression Fracture Care
A clinical-team walkthrough of balloon kyphoplasty for vertebral compression fractures, including candidacy, procedure pathway, recovery, and consultation questions.
Spinal Cord Stimulation: A Plain-English Patient Guide
A working guide for first-time readers — start here.
Facet Joint Injections: What to Expect During a Consultation
How facet joint injections work as both a diagnostic test and a treatment, what happens in the consultation visit, and questions worth bringing to your appointment.
Sacroiliac Joint Injections: What a Pain Management Evaluation Typically Involves
A plain-language guide to the SI joint evaluation — the physical exam findings that point there, how the injection is performed, and what to track in the response window.
What to Expect From an Epidural Steroid Injection
A plain-language walkthrough of the procedure — before, during, and after, plus what most patients experience in recovery.