Interventions for Pain Management
At Wellspring Pain Clinic, we offer a range of interventional procedures designed to help reduce pain, restore function, and support your journey toward a better quality of life. These treatments are often used alongside other therapies—like physiotherapy and psychology—to give you the best chance of long-term improvement.
What Are Interventions?
Pain interventions are medical procedures that target specific nerves, joints, or tissues that may be causing your pain. They range from simple injections done in the clinic, to more advanced techniques like radiofrequency treatments or spinal cord stimulation.
Before recommending any procedure, we will first assess whether an intervention is appropriate. Not all types of pain respond to these treatments—for example, if your pain is widespread or primarily due to nerve sensitivity (central sensitisation), medications, exercise, or cognitive strategies may be more effective.
Are Interventions Safe?
Yes. Most pain interventions are done as day procedures with low risk of complications. They are typically performed under light sedation with an anaesthetist present to ensure your comfort and safety.
Types of Common Interventions
Diagnostic Nerve Blocks
This is often the first step. A small amount of anaesthetic is injected near a suspected nerve or joint. If it temporarily relieves your pain, it helps us identify where your pain is coming from. For example, in back pain, this helps pinpoint whether the pain is from the facet joints, discs, or nerves.
Radiofrequency (RF) Treatment
Once we know the source of your pain, we may offer radiofrequency therapy to provide longer-term relief:
Uses controlled heat to deactivate tiny nerves that only carry pain signals—such as those from the facet joints in your spine. This procedure is typically done after a successful nerve block, confirming that those nerves are the pain source.
Other Interventions
Depending on your condition, we may also consider:
Epidural steroid injections (for nerve root pain or sciatica)
Sympathetic blocks (for CRPS and sympathetic nervous dysfunction)
Peripheral nerve stimulation (for persistent occipital neuralgia headache)
Spinal cord stimulation (for complex or persistent back pain after spinal surgery)
ReActive8 stimulation (for persistent multifidus dysfunction)
Our Goal: Less Pain, Less Medication, More Function
At Wellspring Pain Clinic, we aim to reduce your reliance on long-term medications—especially opioids—through safe, targeted procedures that treat the root cause of your pain.
Research has shown that when used appropriately, interventions can:
Provide better pain relief than medications alone
Support improvements in physical activity, sleep, and mood
Help patients reduce or stop opioids and other medications
(e.g., National Institute for Health and Care Excellence [NICE], 2021)
The Bigger Picture: You Are the Most Important Part of Recovery
Even the best procedure can't replace movement, strength, and mindset. Interventions are just one part of your pain plan. To get the most benefit, we'll also support you with:
Physiotherapy and gentle reactivation
Pain education
Cognitive strategies for managing flare-ups and fear
Sleep and stress management
We will work with you step by step to help you move better, feel stronger, and regain control of your life.
If you have questions about which interventions may be suitable for your condition, please speak to us during your consultation.