Severe, chronic joint pain almost always interferes with your quality of life. When you need relief from pain in your joints so you can enjoy an active lifestyle, but you also want to avoid invasive surgeries, a nerve block may be an ideal solution.
As an accomplished doctor of osteopathic medicine specializing in physical medicine, rehabilitation, and pain management, Dr. David Berkower here at Berkower Pain & Spine Rehabilitation takes an individualized approach to alleviating your joint pain. Everyone is different, and depending on the underlying cause of your joint discomfort. Dr. Berkower may recommend a pain-relieving nerve block. Here we explain why nerve blocks could be your best option for treating chronic joint pain.
Millions of Americans suffer from chronic joint pain
According to recent research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), instances of osteoarthritis — the gradual breakdown of joint cartilage — are on the rise. As the American population ages and people live longer lives, arthritis in your joints seems inevitable. Currently, about 46 million Americans, which is more than 21% of the adult population, suffer from chronic joint pain as a result of osteoarthritis, and that number is expected to double over the next 10 years or so.
This growing problem means that the quality of life for the aging population will continue to interfere with your ability to maintain a healthy, active lifestyle. After all, if you enjoy playing tennis as both a physical and social activity, but your knees hurt too much to be out on the court, then you’re forced to give up something you love.
At Berkower Pain & Spine Rehabilitation, we want to help you maintain your active lifestyle without limits, without pain, and without surgery. Nerve blocks can help you achieve all of this and therefore improve the overall quality of your life.
Hip, knee, and other joint replacement surgeries are among the most common procedures
In the United States, nearly 700,000 knee replacement surgeries take place annually. Add hip replacements and the number climbs to 1 million. These numbers are expected to continue to increase each year as we continue to live longer, active lives.
What many people don’t realize when it comes to chronic joint pain in your knees, hips, or other joints, is that surgery is not the only option for pain relief. In fact there are numerous alternatives, such as nerve blocks, that can pave the way to improving your quality of life by allowing you to remain active without debilitating pain. If you suffer from chronic joint pain and you thought surgery was the best solution, think again before you go under the knife.
Nerve blocks can be highly effective and a much easier procedure. Anytime you can get pain relief without undergoing an invasive surgical treatment, it’s advantageous to your overall health and well-being.
Nerve blocks reduce pain and help you avoid surgery
Once Dr. Berkower determines the underlying cause of your chronic joint pain, he prescribes effective treatments, such as physical therapies, lifestyle modifications like losing weight, and other beneficial nonsurgical solutions. If he determines that your joint pain is the result of deterioration and inflammation that’s common with osteoarthritis symptoms, he may also recommend a nerve block.
A nerve block is a combination of a local anesthetic and a corticosteroid. When Dr. Berkower injects the medication into the affected joint, the anesthetic stops pain signals from traveling to your brain, and the corticosteroids begin to reduce inflammation. A nerve block temporarily blocks your pain and may even offer immediate relief.
Additionally, the nerve block can help Dr. Berkower pinpoint the exact area from which your pain originates. Once you’re no longer in pain, you can participate in physical therapies to help strengthen your joint so your body can heal. Nerve blocks help you avoid surgery and regain mobility.
If chronic joint pain has been preventing you from living your best life, call our office in Pembroke Pines, Florida, to schedule a consultation or use the online booking feature on this website.