Pain Management Services are offered through the BCHC Surgery Department.
Conditions Treated
- Back and neck pain
- Failed back surgery syndrome
- Spinal stenosis
- “Shingles” (acute and post-herpetic neuralgia)
- Peripheral neuropathies
- Myofascial pain syndrome
- Phantom limb pain
- Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (complex regional pain syndrome – Type 1)
- Causalgia (complex regional pain syndrome – Type II)
- Facial pain (trigeminal neuralgia)
- Post-thoracotomy pain
- Limb pain and inoperable vascular insufficiency
- Occipital pain
- Cancer pain
- Pain associated with osteoporosis and vertebral compression fractures
Frequently Asked Questions
Find the answers to our most common Pain Management questions.
Do I need a referral to become a pain clinic patient?
All new pain clinic patients must be referred by a healthcare provider. The physician’s office must call to arrange the first appointment so that information regarding your prior care can be obtained. Copies of all relevant medical records and tests (especially X-rays and MRIs) should be sent prior to the visit or with you. All initial appointments will be scheduled by your healthcare provider. For more information about BCHC Pain Management Services, use the Find A Doctor application on this website or call the Outpatient Clinic at 319-332-0950.
How will I feel after the procedure?
After the procedure, you may feel mild numbness or weakness caused by the local anesthetic (numbing medicine). This may last 2-3 hours, so you should not drive yourself home. You are usually asked to rest on the day of the epidural, but should be able to return to work the next day. Pain relief from the steroid occurs gradually after 48 hours and may take 10-14 days for maximum effect.
What happens during the epidural steroid injection procedure?
You will be asked to lie flat on the table on your stomach. Prior to the epidural injection, the skin is numbed with a local anesthetic, similar to the numbing medicine a dentist uses. Using fluoroscopy (live X-ray) for guidance, the physician directs the needle toward the epidural space. Once the needle is on the proper location, the steroid is injected. Following the injection, you will usually be monitored for 15 to 20 minutes. Sedation is available for anxiety and comfort.
How long do epidural steroid injection procedures take?
Epidural steroid injection procedures usually take 15 to 20 minutes.
Where does treatment take place?
You will be treated in the BCHC Surgery Department.
How are pain conditions addressed?
Many of these pain conditions will be addressed by injecting steroid drugs, which possess strong anti-inflammatory properties, or local anesthetic, around the inflamed nerve, disc, joint or ligament.
