Pain
Management

The Abington Advantage

At Abington Radiology we use the latest and most advanced minimally invasive procedures to relieve patients of their pain. We use real time imaging (CT, ultrasound, and x-ray) to guide a needle to precisely where it needs to go in order to free you or a loved one.

Back Pain Management

Kyphoplasty/sacroplasty

Many patients with acute spinal fractures, often called spinal compression fractures, have significant pain and disability. Some of these patients will get better without any treatment other than pain medication, but for those whose symptoms do not resolve in an acceptable period of time, or for those patients whose symptoms are causing a significant disability that is interfering with normal daily activities, vertebral augmentation is a minimal invasive treatment option. The procedure is sometimes called vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty. It is usually performed on an outpatient basis and patients usually go home the same day. Often, patients have immediate and significant relief from their symptoms.

The treatment consists of injecting bone cement directly into the fractured vertebra through a specially designed needle. The procedure is usually performed with sedation provided by the anesthesia department. Most often, patients do not require placement of a breathing tube.

Sacral fractures can be difficult to treat using traditional techniques and can lead to significant pain and disability related to prolonged bed rest. At Abington, we perform an advanced technique to treat these difficult fractures called sacroplasty. Needles are precisely placed into the fractured bone and bone cement is injected to stabilize the fracture and promote healing. This technique can help patients suffering with sacral fractures.

If you are interested in meeting with one of our physicians to discuss if this procedure is right for you, please call 215-481-6226 and leave your contact information.

CT-guided Spinal Pain Management:

Using CT guidance, steroids and anesthetics can be injecting into the joints of the spine (facet joints), the space around the spinal cord (epidural space), and the space where the nerves exit the spine (nerve root neural foramen). This can help relieve various types of back pain syndromes.

We can treat Piriformis Syndrome with CT-guided injection of steroids and anesthetics into the Piriformis muscle.

Lumbar spine synovial cyst aspiration can also be effectively performed using CT-guidance.

We also use CT guidance to perform a blood “patch” for headaches as a result of a previous lumbar puncture or due to a spontaneous spinal fluid (CSF) leak.

Joint Injections and other pain management procedures can be scheduled by calling (215) 481-6226. A prescription form your doctor is required.

Joint Injection
(e.g. shoulder, knee, hip, etc)

Using Fluoroscopic X-Ray or Ultrasound as guidance, steroids and analgesics can be injected into various joints in the body for pain relief. After administering local anesthesia, a needle is appropriately placed inside the joint of interest and medication is injected.

Joint Injections can be scheduled by calling (215) 481-6226. A prescription from your doctor is required.

Pain Management