Reclaim Your Life: Effective Non-Surgical Pain Treatments
Pain — whether chronic or acute — can interfere with movement, sleep, work, and overall quality of life. While surgery may be necessary in some cases, many people can successfully manage pain using non-surgical treatments that target both the physical and functional aspects of pain.
Modern pain medicine focuses on addressing the underlying cause of pain through multimodal approaches, combining medications, physical rehabilitation, targeted injections, and minimally invasive procedures such as radiofrequency ablation (RFA).
Medication Management
Medication remains one of the mainstays of pain treatment and can be customized according to the type, location, and intensity of pain.
- Oral medications (e.g., anti-inflammatory drugs or nerve pain agents) help reduce inflammation and calm irritated nerves.
- Topical medications, including creams or patches, provide localized relief with fewer systemic side effects.
- Intravenous (IV) infusions can be used for rapid pain control in acute or severe cases, usually under medical supervision.
The goal of medication therapy is to relieve pain while minimizing long-term drug dependence or side effects.
Physiotherapy and Functional Rehabilitation
Physiotherapy plays a crucial role in restoring function, improving mobility, and preventing recurrence of pain.
A personalized rehabilitation program often includes:
- Manual therapy and stretching to improve flexibility and relieve muscle tension.
- Exercise-based strengthening to enhance stability and correct posture.
- Modalities such as ultrasound therapy to reduce inflammation and stimulate tissue repair.
By improving muscle balance and joint function, physiotherapy supports lasting recovery beyond symptom relief.
Targeted Injection Therapies
When conservative methods are not sufficient, image-guided injections can provide more direct and effective pain relief. These procedures are minimally invasive and focus on the pain source itself.
Corticosteroid Injections
Deliver anti-inflammatory medication precisely into inflamed joints, tendons, or spinal areas. Common indications include shoulder or knee arthritis, tendonitis, and nerve irritation such as sciatica for herniated discs.
Regenerative Injections
- PRP therapy uses platelets from the patient’s blood to promote tissue repair.
- Prolotherapy uses a dextrose-based solution to trigger mild inflammation and healing
These methods can be beneficial for chronic tendon injuries and degenerative joint pain. These injections that stimulate natural healing.
Viscosupplementation (Hyaluronic Acid)
Used for knee, hip and shoulder osteoarthritis, this treatment replenishes joint lubrication, reduces friction, and improves range of motion.
Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)
Radiofrequency ablation is a minimally invasive procedure that provides longer-term pain relief by interrupting pain signals from specific sensory nerves. Using image guidance, a thin probe delivers radiofrequency energy to the targeted nerve.
Pain relief typically lasts between 6 to 24 months, depending on the individual and the underlying condition.
RFA is commonly used for:
- Chronic neck and lower back pain due to facet joint syndromes
- Sacroiliac joint dysfunction
- Knee osteoarthritis when conservative treatment is insufficient
The procedure is performed under local anesthesia or sedation, and most patients resume daily activities within a short period.
Integrating Multiple Approaches
Effective pain management often involves a combination of treatments rather than a single method. Medications and physiotherapy help control symptoms and restore movement, while targeted injections or RFA can address the pain source directly.
By combining these evidence-based techniques, patients can achieve better pain control, improved function, and enhanced quality of life — often without the need for surgery.
Rarinthorn Choomsai Na Ayuthaya MD. Interventional pain specialist
