Pain Treatments
Approach to Treatment
Dr. Galvin considers any issues which may be contributing to a person’s pain. Every patient’s pain and experience is different.
She begins by listening to the patient, seeking to understand their concerns and pinpoints a customised management plan. She is always happy to work with other healthcare professionals which may include physiotherapists, psychologists, radiologists, surgeons.
Dr. Galvin uses her experience as a pain specialist to provide therapies for all aspects of chronic pain. She specialises in nerve pain, spinal pain, headaches, musculoskeletal pain and post-surgical pain.
Procedures Offered Include
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Treatment for nerve pain or localised pain in the body caused by irritation or malfunction of a nerve. It is performed in an operating theatre under light sedation by a pain specialist.
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Use of radiofrequency stimulation to heat nerve which reduces signals sent back to the spine.
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Surgical procedure to sever nerve roots in the spinal cord using thermal ablation/heat . The procedure aims to effectively relieve chronic back pain and muscle spasms. For spinal joint pain, a facet rhizotomy may provide lasting low back pain relief by disabling the sensory nerve at the facet joint.
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An epidural injection provides temporary or lasting relief from pain or inflammation in the spine or extremities (arms and legs). Imaging guidance may be used to place the needle in the right location for maximum benefit. The injection may also help confirm the exact site of the pain.
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Injections to different anatomical locations for managing commonly encountered musculoskeletal conditions.
Holistic Care
Dr Galvin believes early pain intervention has a huge role in conditions where pain in the major symptom. Pain interventions can be done prior to surgery. This may allow for patient rehabilitation (exercise, weight loss etc) and result in a delay need for surgery. Pain is one of the most common symptoms patients report and there can be multiple contributors. Pain can arise for a variety of reasons:
Pre-existing
Injury
Age related
Post surgical
Sports related
Psychological
Some can be physical, psychological and emotional and all of these factors are taken into consideration as part of a holistic and fully rounded programme of treatment. It is a core principle that we explore all factors and I work closely with other healthcare professionals including surgeons, psychologists, physiotherapists and dietitians.
Prevention is Better Than Cure. No discussion about pain is complete without mentioning ways to prevent it. But prevention can vary on a case basis, for which we recommend a 1-1 consultation. In general, though, to help patients avoid a lifetime of pain, we recommend starting early by adopting some best practices: Healthy dietary habits with adequate intake of calcium and vitamin D Active participation in sports and physical activities posture corrective and targeted exercises to strengthen specific muscle groups Stress management techniques for better mental health.