Frequently Asked Questions

Interventional pain management doctors specialize in pain blocking techniques, which include everything from injections to nerve blocks and radiofrequency ablation. As medicine evolves and doctors discover more about the complexities of pain, they are able to take more highly targeted approaches to treating pain than ever before. This requires that doctors have advanced knowledge of the pain, the ability to understand a patient’s complicated pain concern, and the skills to effectively perform procedures. We are proud to say that all of our doctors employ the latest and most advanced treatment options available, offering our patients a cutting-edge and modern approach to pain relief and non-invasive treatments.
Pain, weakness, or numbness in your back? Sciatic discomfort in your rear or burning and tingling down your leg? You may have a herniated disc. Most herniated discs occur in the lower back — though, they can technically occur anywhere along the spine. Unlike disc degeneration, a herniated disc means one of your spinal discs has ruptured or torn, and in turn, the gel-like substance inside has bulged out. This is why a herniated disc may be sometimes called a bulging disc, a slipped disc, or a ruptured disc. Most of the time, the actual bulging out of the gel from a herniated disc is not the source of pain. Instead, it’s the fact that the gel-like substance may touch and irritate nearby nerves. This can easily result in pain, discomfort, weakness, and numbness. It is also why a herniated disc is sometimes called a pinched nerve.
To understand a herniated disc, you first need to know what a spinal disc is.  Your spine consists of 33 interlocking bones. These are called vertebra. In between each vertebra is a small intervertebral disc or spinal disc. Each disc is like a capsule, made of strong, connective tissue on the outside and a soft, gel-like substance on the inside. Essentially, these soft discs act as “shock absorbers” for your spine.
The first thing to know about treating a herniated disc is that there is no single treatment course. Instead, treatment will require working one-on-one with a specialist who will tailor a treatment regimen to the patient’s particular symptoms and needs. The primary goal of treatment for this condition is to a) relieve pain and b) avoid surgery if possible. At Miami Gardens Orthopedics and Pain Management, we have numerous treatment avenues that can conservatively relieve pain and other herniated disc symptoms without the need for invasive surgery. Here are just some of the conservative treatment approaches we offer:
  • Physical therapy, including gentle stretching, exercise, and massage
  • Epidural steroid injections for pain relief
Our interventional pain management department is led by a team of board-certified doctors with years of experience treating every kind of spine and joint pain. You can rest assured that our team has seen it all and knows how to help you find the pain relief you need. We offer a range of highly targeted, modern treatment options and techniques to help our patients find pain relief from back, neck, and joint pain - all without resorting to orthopedic surgery.
Our interventional pain management specialists offer a range of modern and advanced treatment options that are non-invasive. These procedures are done on a same-day basis, and in-office (for the spine, joints like knees and shoulders). Below are the procedures most commonly performed by our doctors.
Spine Pain Management:
  • Epidural Steroid Injections
  • Facet Joint Blocks
  • Facet Joint Radiofrequency Ablation
  • Sacroiliac Joint Injections
  • Nerve Blocks
Joint Pain Management:
  • Hip Joint Injections
  • Shoulder Injections
  • Knee Steroid Injections
  • Knee Hyaluronic Injections
  • Trigger point injections
  • Platelet Rich Plasma – PRP Therapy
What Can Platelet-Rich Plasma Treat? PRP injections are used to treat torn tendons, tendinitis, muscle injuries, arthritis-related pain, and joint injuries. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy uses injections of a concentration of a patient's own platelets to accelerate the healing of injured tendons, ligaments, muscles and joints. In this way, PRP injections use each individual patient's own healing system to improve musculoskeletal problems.
Not sure whether or not your pain is from a car accident? Most patients don’t know that motor vehicle injuries can stay hidden for months. Our team can evaluate you to make sure that you don’t ignore the signs of damage! Whether you have lingering back pain, neck pain, whiplash, or any other injury after a car accident, you should get help.
In the end, a final back pain diagnosis must be undertaken by a board-certified medical professional with experience in spinal care. To determine the cause and source of the pain, this specialist will consider four factors:
  • A complete physical exam of the patient
  • The patient’s medical history
  • The patient’s description of the pain location, frequency, and intensity
  • Diagnostic tests, as needed