Minimally invasive treatments can transform chronic pain care: RMLIMS experts

Love Agarwal

Lucknow: 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.

The event was organised by the anaesthesiology department of RMLIMS in collaboration with the Indian Society for Study of Pain. Specialists said 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.

Prof Anurag Agarwal from the anaesthesiology department said nearly 70%-80% of chronic pain patients remain unaware that specialised treatment options are available. He said pain medicine focuses on identifying the exact source of pain and treating it through targeted minimally invasive procedures.

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.

Chief medical superintendent Prof Vikram Singh said such procedures can offer lifelong or long-lasting relief for many patients.

Head of anaesthesiology Prof Praveen Kumar Das said that ISSP has launched a national directory to help patients find trained pain specialists nearby.
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