Pain Management Specialist
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Surgical Spine Associates
Eugene A Bonaroti, MD, FACS
Board Certified Neurological Spine Surgeon with locations in Irwin, Cranberry, and Washington, PA
It’s estimated that 11% of adults suffer from daily pain, and most of them report that they struggle with significant pain. Once you develop chronic pain, expert pain management is essential in order to achieve optimal relief. Eugene Bonaroti, MD, FACS, at Surgical Spine Associates offers compassionate and comprehensive pain management that effectively relieves pain arising from your neck, back, and other areas of your body. To get the help you need for ongoing pain, call one of the offices in Irwin, Cranberry, or Fox Chapel, Pennsylvania, or schedule an appointment online.
Pain Management Q & A
When do I need pain management?
There aren’t any rules about when it’s time to seek pain management. However, early attention to the problem gives you the relief you need and may prevent acute pain from becoming chronic.
Chronic pain develops when your pain lasts at least 3-6 months or continues long after the underlying cause heals. Pain management is essential for chronic pain.
What conditions may require pain management?
Many conditions require pain management. A few examples include:
- Herniated disc
- Spinal stenosis
- Degenerative disc disease
- Facet joint arthritis
- Traumatic injury
- Sciatica
- Fibromyalgia
- Complex regional pain syndrome
Dr. Bonaroti offers pain management techniques that focus on your spine. As these treatments stop spinal nerves from sending pain signals to your brain, they effectively treat back and neck pain, as well as pain from other parts of your body.
What pain management treatments might I receive?
Dr. Bonaroti takes a multimodal approach to pain management, treating the whole person rather than just a condition or symptom.
Your treatment plan may incorporate one or more therapies, beginning with conservative options and progressing to include more advanced treatments as needed. For example, your treatment may start with oral medication, physical therapy, and/or therapies such as epidural steroid injections.
Dr. Bonaroti also performs minimally invasive procedures to implant advanced devices that alleviate pain by directly targeting the nerves in your spine. Two examples are spinal cord stimulation and intrathecal fusion therapy:
Spinal cord stimulation
Spinal cord stimulation uses a mild electrical impulse to block pain signals traveling through spinal nerves to your brain. When your brain doesn’t get the message, your pain is significantly reduced. After a successful trial period, Dr. Bonaroti implants the stimulator in the epidural space of your spine, where it provides ongoing pain relief as long as it’s in place.
Intrathecal infusion therapy
An intrathecal pain pump is a medical device that delivers pain-relieving medication directly to your spinal cord.
Dr. Bonaroti implants the pump, which holds the medication, under the skin of your abdomen. Then he runs a catheter from the pump to the intrathecal area, a fluid-filled space between the membranes covering your spine.
The pump is programmed to slowly release the medication. Since the medication goes directly to your spinal cord, you only need a small dose to achieve significant pain relief.
Personalized pain management is available at Surgical Spine Associates. To schedule an appointment, call one of the offices or use the online booking feature today.
