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Interventional Pain Management

Why choose Ochsner Health for your pain management care?

Ochsner Health interventional pain management provides world-class treatment right here at home in Louisiana. Our nationally and internationally recognized multidisciplinary team of experts offers innovative, evidence-based treatments to safely and effectively reduce pain long term so that you can get back to doing what you love.

Pain is a natural response to illness or injury. However, frequent, severe or chronic pain can prevent you from fully enjoying or living your best life. Our pain management team provides a wide range of evidence-based treatments to relieve several types of pain, including:

  • Breakthrough pain — pain that is more severe than your normal chronic pain and not controlled with your normal medications
  • Chronic pain — pain lasting for several months or longer
  • Pathologic pain — pain that is more severe than usual based on the illness or injury causing the pain

While our primary focus is on treating long-term pain, we also offer treatment for acute pain that has the potential to become chronic.

Types of pain we treat include:

  • Arthritis
  • Chronic headaches and migraines
  • Complex regional pain syndrome, also known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome
  • Degenerative disk disease
  • Diabetic neuropathy
  • Facial pain
  • Failed back surgery syndrome
  • Fibromyalgia
  • General neuropathy
  • Herniated disks
  • Injuries of the muscles, tendons or other soft tissues
  • Joint pain, including shoulder, knee, hip, etc.
  • Low back pain or injuries
  • Neck pain or injuries
  • Post-herpetic neuralgia and shingles
  • Post-laminectomy syndrome
  • Sciatica
  • Spinal facet syndrome
  • Spinal stenosis
  • Sports-related injuries
  • Trigeminal neuralgia
  • Vertebral compression fractures
  • Vertebrogenic back pain

Ochsner interventional pain management offers leading-edge, innovative treatment options to safely and effectively reduce pain and improve quality of life. We take a holistic approach to pain management that includes conservative therapies, minimally invasive interventional procedures and medication management.

Your care team will work with you to identify the treatment options best suited for your type of pain, overall health and lifestyle. Available treatments include:

Based on your condition and needs, your doctor may also recommend:

  • Cognitive behavioral therapy or another behavioral health approach to pain management

Additionally, the Ochsner back and spine center provides highly specialized care for those with back and spine-related pain. For patients who need more structured treatment, our innovative functional restoration program offers additional care options with a holistic, multidisciplinary approach.

Chronic pain is a complex condition that requires a multidisciplinary approach to care. Our team includes:

  • Nurse practitioners
  • Occupational therapists
  • Physical therapists
  • Physician assistants
  • Social workers

All members of the expert Ochsner interventional pain management team are well-versed in treating general and chronic pain lasting three months or more. Several of our board-certified physicians also have extensive training in specialty areas, including:

  • Anesthesiology
  • Cancer-related pain management
  • Emergency medicine
  • Headache management
  • Interventional pain management
  • Neuromodulation
  • Peripheral nerve stimulation
  • Physical medicine and rehabilitation
  • Sports medicine

Additionally, to help you get the treatment you need while improving continuity of care, we work closely with other specialists and programs throughout the Ochsner system, including:

Ochsner interventional pain management services are offered throughout Louisiana, giving you the relief you need, no extensive travel required. Find a location near you.

All Ochsner interventional pain management physicians are board-certified pain management specialists. Additionally, several of our doctors are nationally and internationally recognized as leaders who actively contribute to the field of pain management through research, speaking, teaching and writing.

Research is an essential part of the Ochsner interventional pain management program. Our team is active in research and clinical trials, which allows us to bring you cutting-edge, evidence-based treatments before they are widely available. Active and recent clinical research areas include:

  • Knee pain after joint replacement
  • Knee pain from osteoarthritis
  • Neurostimulation for painful diabetic neuropathy
  • The effect of Virtual reality treatment for chronic pain on quality of life

For more information about participating in research or clinical trials, contact Latrell Johnson at latjohnson@ochsner.org or 504-842-6052.

In addition to providing comprehensive, high-quality pain management care, the Ochsner interventional pain management team is passionate about training the next generation of pain management experts. Our one-year, multidisciplinary fellowship program provides training in several aspects of pain management care and encourages participation in ongoing research.

Every year, thousands of patients who have tried multiple treatment options without success are finding the relief they seek from the pain management specialists at Ochsner Health. We offer revolutionary new therapies to treat patients suffering from chronic pain when conservative medicine hasn’t helped. With today’s treatments, most pain, regardless of type and amount, can be controlled safely and effectively.

At Ochsner Health, you’ll be treated be a team of nationally known interventional pain physicians, renowned surgeons, skilled radiologists, rehabilitation therapists, specially trained physician assistants and nurses. We’re here to help you sleep better, eat better, move more and feel more positive. With our help, you can become yourself again.

Ochsner patients are diagnosed and treated with the latest technology. We offer open MRIs, electromyograms and image-guided injections, just to name a few. No in-and-out, stand-alone pain management center in the region can offer you more.

The Ochsner team was the first in Louisiana and one of few in the country to perform the Dorsal Root Ganglion (DRG) implant. This stimulation was created to treat pain associated with regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Unlike similar devices, DRG stimulation can target specific areas of the body where pain occurs.

We also were the first in New Orleans to offer Cooled Radio Frequency Ablation, a non-invasive, outpatient treatment option that allows doctors to treat a larger area than conventional radio frequency treatments.

To schedule an appointment or for a second opinion, call 866-624-7637.

We also offer virtual visits. If you are a new patient, your first virtual appointment is at the discretion of the provider. Learn more about virtual visits, here.

Consider getting a second opinion if:

  • You have questions about your current course of treatment or diagnosis

How to get started:

  • We will collect any imaging and records from outside facilities
  • Schedule a virtual visit with our pain providers
  • Give an overview of your treatment and diagnosis
  • Provide a written summary regarding your virtual visit

You may also schedule online through the MyOchsner patient portal. This allows you to conveniently schedule your next appointment yourself.

Only you know when you are hurting and what kind of pain you are experiencing. Ochsner doctors and nurses will work with you to assess your level of pain. Some patients, including the elderly and small children, may not be able to say they are feeling pain. Healthcare professionals look for non-verbal clues. Do not hesitate to discuss any concerns you have.

  • Where is the pain located?
  • Is the pain sharp, achey or dull?
  • How long did it last?
  • What have you taken or done that brings relief or eases pain?
  • How does the pain affect your daily life and your family’s life?
  • When should you ask for pain medication?
  • When did it start?
  • What makes it better or worse?

The best way to control pain is to address it as soon as you begin to hurt.

Chronic pain is pain that lasts longer than three months. Pain is your body’s way of responding to injury, illness or stress. Stress and anxiety may increase the pain you feel. Our specialized team treats a broad range of pain, including but not limited to, that caused by:

  • Low back pain/injury
  • Neck pain/injury
  • Sports related injury
  • Cancer related pain
  • Work related injury
  • Back pain after surgery
  • Herniated discs
  • Spinal stenosis
  • Degenerative disc disease
  • Post laminectomy syndrome
  • Chronic headaches/migraines
  • Arthritis
  • Spinal facet syndrome
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Sciatica
  • Vertebral compression fractures
  • General neuropathy
  • Diabetic neuropathy
  • CRPS/RSD
  • Postherpetic neuralgia/shingles
  • Trigeminal neuralgia

FAQs

You can make an appointment with Ochsner interventional pain management by:

  • Asking your primary care physician or another Ochsner specialist for a referral

If your primary care physician or another Ochsner specialist believes you would benefit from a specific pain management procedure, they can also provide you with a direct-to-procedure order. This order allows you to schedule your pain management procedure without an initial new patient pain management appointment.

The goal of interventional pain management is to address the cause of pain, not just the symptom. While opiates have short-term pain-relieving effects, they lack long-term benefits and come with several possible side effects and risk factors. However, a low dose of opiates given for a short period may be used in combination with additional pain management treatments, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, occupational or physical therapy, or nerve stimulation.

Depending on the type of pain you’re experiencing, your care team may recommend non-opioid pain medicine to relieve chronic pain, such as antiepileptic medications, local anesthetics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or steroid injections.

Some of the most common types of pain include joint pain, post-surgical pain and pain caused by chronic illness. The Ochsner interventional pain management team provides expert, comprehensive treatment for several common painful conditions and types of pain, including:

  • Inflammatory pain caused by autoimmune disorders or infections
  • Mechanical pain due to poor alignment or movement issues
  • Musculoskeletal pain, or pain related to bones, muscles and soft tissues
  • Neuropathic pain caused by nerve issues
  • Psychogenic pain due to behavioral, emotional or psychological concerns

Your initial pain management appointment will happen in the doctor’s office. However, virtual visits may be an option for follow-up appointments depending on your condition and care needs.

New Neurostimulation Technology Treating Chronic Pain of the Trunk and/or Limbs

Do you suffer from chronic trunk and/or limb pain and has your doctor suggested spinal cord stimulation as a treatment plan?

If yes, you may be eligible to participate in a spinal cord stimulator study, ECAP. The study is sponsored by Saluda Medical Americas, Inc. and utilizes the Evoke Spinal Cord Stimulator (SCS) System (Evoke System). This new technology, closed-loop, uses unique programming which not only send out stimulation signals, but actually measures your body’s response to the treatment and utilizes that information to automatically adjust how you receive stimulation. This can therefore create the potential for more targeted, consistent therapy. If interested, please contact Latrell Johnson (latjohnson@ochsner.org / 504-842-6052) to discuss how the study works and to see if you are eligible to participate. (ECAP #2020107)

Chronic Back Pain and Not Eligible for Spinal Surgery

Have you suffered from chronic back pain and are not eligible for spinal surgery? You may be eligible to participate in a spinal cord stimulation (SCS) study, SOLIS, which compares two different types of stimulation treatment. If you have spoken to your doctor and they have identified spinal cord stimulation as a potential treatment option for you, please feel free to reach out to Latrell Johnson (latjohnson@ochsner.org / 504-842-6052) at the Covington Pain Management Clinic, and we can discuss the study further and see if you qualify. (NOVA#202076)

Knee Pain After Total Knee Replacement

Do you currently suffer from Knee pain after total knee replacement? We are current enrolling for a study, SPRINT, that uses a short-term peripheral nerve stimulation device to treat knee pain after a total knee replacement. Please contact Latrell Johnson (latjohnson@ochsner.org / 504-841-6052) to discuss how the study works and to see if you are eligible to participate. (SPRINT#2019188)

BSC Spinal Cord Stimulator Registry

Are you currently scheduled for implantation of a Boston Scientific (BSC) Spinal Cord Stimulator to treat lumbar pain? You might be eligible to participate in a registry study, RELIEF or ENVISION, which tracks the pain treatment experience of patients implanted with a BSC SCS device. One study, RELIEF, tracks your pain experience starting at the trial implant, then the implant, and then follow-up visits at 6M, 12M, 24M, and 36M. The ENVISION study follows a patient’s daily experience post-permanent implant. The study has a 1M, 3M, and 12M visit, and includes the use of a phone application for tracking daily pain experiences and a study watch for tracking heart rate. To learn more about this unique registry and to see if you meet eligibility, please contact Latrell Johnson (latjohnson@ochsner.org / 504-841-6052) at the Baptist New Orleans Clinic.

Study: How Pain Affects Quality of Life

Ochsner Health, The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and Cedars-Sinai Health System, conduct research to learn how to better prevent, diagnose and treat illness, with the ultimate goal of improving health.

Pragmatic comparative effectiveness trial of evidence-based, on-demand, digital behavioral treatments for chronic pain, with the purpose of seeing if and how audiovisual applications can improve chronic pain, completely in the comfort of your home. Individuals who choose to enroll will be eligible for up to $300 in Amazon gift cards at the completion of the study and based on the number of surveys completed.

Ochsner is the only pain center in the area that can offer clinical trials. We are on the forefront of breakthrough therapies that can mean the difference between spending night and day in a recliner and getting out there and enjoying life again. Many trials are available to our patients at no cost.

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Map of Ochsner-affiliated facilities that provide services related to Interventional Pain Management

Interventional Pain Management Locations

Ochsner Lafayette General Orthopedic Hospital Medical Office Building
4212 West Congress St.
Lafayette, LA 70506
  • Monday – Thursday: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
  • Friday: 8 a.m.-noon
Ochsner Medical Complex - Clearview
4430 Veterans Memorial Blvd.
Metairie, LA 70006
  • Monday – Friday: 7 a.m.-5 p.m.
Ochsner Health Center – Gonzales
2400 South Burnside Ave.
Gonzales, LA 70737
  • Monday–Friday: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Ochsner Lafayette General Surgical Hospital
1000 West Pinhook Road
Lafayette, LA 70503
  • Open 24/7
Ochsner Acadia General Hospital
1305 Crowley Rayne Highway
Crowley, LA 70526
  • Open 24/7
Ochsner Lafayette General Orthopedic Hospital
2810 Ambassador Caffery Parkway
Lafayette, LA 70506
  • : 10:14 p.m.-10:14 p.m.
  • Open 24/7
Ochsner LSU Health - St. Mary Medical Center
915 Margaret Place
Shreveport, LA 71101
  • Open 24/7
Ochsner Health Center - Elmwood
1201 South Clearview Parkway , Building B
New Orleans, LA 70121
  • Monday – Friday: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Ochsner Health Center - Lake Terrace
1532 Allen Toussaint Blvd.
New Orleans, LA 70122
  • Monday – Friday: 7 a.m.-4 p.m.
Ochsner Medical Complex - The Grove
10310 The Grove Blvd.
Baton Rouge, LA 70836
  • Monday–Friday: 7 a.m.-5 p.m.
  • Saturday: 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
Ochsner Medical Center - Hancock
149 Drinkwater Blvd.
Bay St. Louis, MS 39520
  • Open 24/7
Ochsner Health Center - St. Bernard
8050 West Judge Perez Drive
Chalmette, LA 70043
Ochsner Specialty Health Center – St. Bernard
8050 West Judge Perez Drive , Suite 3200
Chalmette, LA 70043
  • Mon–Fri: 7 a.m.-4 p.m.
St. Bernard Parish Hospital
8000 W. Judge Perez Drive
Chalmette, LA 70043
  • Open 24/7
Ochsner Health Center - Michoud
13800 Old Gentilly Road , Building 101, Suite 101-1-EC32; Gate 9A
New Orleans, LA 70129
  • Monday – Thursday: 7 a.m.-4:30 a.m.
  • Friday: 7 a.m.-1:30 a.m.
Ochsner Health Center - Slidell Campus Bldg. 2
105 Medical Center Drive, North Shore Two Bldg.
Slidell, LA 70461
St. Charles Parish Hospital
1057 Paul Maillard Road
Luling, LA 70070
  • Open 24/7
Ochsner Health Center - Baptist Napoleon Medical Plaza
2820 Napoleon Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70115
  • Monday – Thursday: 6 a.m.-5 p.m.
  • Friday: 6 a.m.-3 p.m.
  • Therapy & Wellness: Mon – Fri: 7 a.m.-4 p.m.
Slidell Memorial Hospital East
100 Medical Center Drive
Slidell, LA 70461
  • Open 24/7
Ochsner Specialty Health Center - Raceland
141 Twin Oaks Drive
Raceland, LA 70394
  • Monday – Friday: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Ochsner Health Center - Luling
1057 Paul Maillard Road
Luling, LA 70070
Ochsner Heart and Vascular Health Center - Hammond
16045 Doctors Blvd.
Hammond, LA 70403
  • Monday–Friday: 6 a.m.-4 p.m.
Ochsner Health Center - Prairieville
16220 Airline Highway
Prairieville, LA 70769
  • Primary Care: Monday–Friday: 7 a.m.-6 p.m.
Ochsner Health Center - Covington
1000 Ochsner Blvd.
Covington, LA 70433
  • Mon–Fri: 7 a.m.-6 p.m.
Ochsner Health Center - O'Neal
16777 Medical Center Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70816
  • Monday–Friday: 7 a.m.-6 p.m.
Ochsner Medical Center - West Bank Campus
2500 Belle Chasse Highway
Gretna, LA 70056
  • Open 24/7
Ochsner St. Anne Hospital
4608 Highway 1
Raceland, LA 70394
  • Open 24/7
Ochsner Health Center - Kenner
200 West Esplanade Ave.
Kenner, LA 70065
Ochsner Baptist - A Campus of Ochsner Medical Center
2700 Napoleon Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70115
  • Open 24/7