Patients living with chronic pain and finding little relief from medicines or physiotherapy now have access to advanced minimally invasive procedures that can provide long-term relief, experts said at a pre-CME programme on pain medicine held at Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow.
Event Details
The event was organised by the anaesthesiology department of RMLIMS in collaboration with the Indian Society for Study of Pain (ISSP). Specialists highlighted that chronic pain from conditions such as slip disc, spinal disorders, trigeminal neuralgia, sciatica, arthritis, cancer-related pain, and osteoporosis-related fractures often severely affects mobility, sleep, and routine activities. It can also harm mental health and increase dependence on family members.
Lack of Awareness
Prof Anurag Agarwal from the anaesthesiology department stated that nearly 70% to 80% of chronic pain patients remain unaware that specialised treatment options are available. He explained that pain medicine focuses on identifying the exact source of pain and treating it through targeted minimally invasive procedures.
Advanced Procedures Discussed
Among the options discussed was spinal cord stimulation, often described as a “pacemaker of the spine.” The device is placed near the spine and sends mild electrical signals that block pain messages from reaching the brain, reducing the sensation of pain in the affected area. For patients with slip disc-related pain, doctors highlighted MisEPP, or minimally invasive spine endoscopic pain procedures, which are designed to reduce tissue damage and promote faster recovery.
Experts also spoke about vertebroplasty, a procedure in which special medical cement is injected into bones damaged by osteoporosis or injury to strengthen them and ease pain. Balloon kyphoplasty, they said, can additionally help restore the height of collapsed bones.
Benefits and Directory
Chief medical superintendent Prof Vikram Singh remarked that such procedures can offer lifelong or long-lasting relief for many patients. Head of anaesthesiology Prof Praveen Kumar Das announced that ISSP has launched a national directory to help patients find trained pain specialists nearby.
