Interventional Pain Therapy

Interventional pain therapy of the spine(PRT and facet joint infiltration)encompasses minimally invasive, image-guided procedures for the targeted treatment of back pain originating from nerve roots or the small vertebral joints. These procedures rely on precise guidance using computed tomography or fluoroscopy, which allows medication to be delivered exactly to the source of pain.

In perirradicular therapy — PRT for short — an anti-inflammatory and analgesic medication is injected directly at an irritated nerve root, for example in cases of a herniated disc or narrowing of the nerve canal. Facet joint infiltration, by contrast, targets the small joints between the vertebral bodies, which can become painfully affected by wear and tear — a condition known as facet joint arthrosis. In both cases, image-guided needle placement enables millimeter-precise positioning, allowing the medication to act in a targeted way while protecting the surrounding structures. These procedures can relieve acute symptoms, serve at the same time to accurately identify the source of pain, and in many cases can help avoid or delay surgery.