Osteoarthritis Treatment

Connecticut Pain Solutions provides pain management and neurology services in Ridgefield and Wallingford, CT. Call 203-724-9290 (Ridgefield) or 203-626-9080 (Wallingford) to learn more and schedule your appointment.

At Connecticut Pain Solutions, we have one simple but vital goal: helping you avoid surgery with our minimally invasive, high-tech methods. Our approach to treating osteoarthritis is safe but aggressive.

First, we will carefully evaluate you to determine the extent and severity of your osteoarthritis, including which structures are affected, your pain levels, and your existing range of motion. Depending on what we find, we offer a variety of osteoarthritis treatments:

Epidural Steroid Injections

For osteoarthritis of the spine, epidural steroid injections can provide tremendous relief. They are most often used alongside other pain management methods.

Nerve Block

A nerve block is most often performed to confirm that you are a candidate for radiofrequency ablation. In some cases, it may be used alone. Either way, if your osteoarthritis is causing pressure on a nerve, a nerve block may stop the pain in its tracks.

Radiofrequency Ablation

If a nerve block shows that a nerve is compressed, a radiofrequency ablation may be performed. This procedure burns off the affected nerve with radiofrequency waves, giving most patients full or partial relief from their pain. The nerve will grow back in 12 to 24 months, which could necessitate another ablation. For some people, though, the pain never returns, even after the nerve does.

Joint Injections

If your osteoarthritis is causing severe joint pain, we can inject steroids mixed with numbing agents into the affected joints. Some people need just a single injection, while others require a series of two or three injections. Pain relief from a steroid joint injection tends to last for several months or years.

Trigger Point Injections

If your osteoarthritis has limited your range of motion, odds are high that you have a few trigger points around the affected joints. These extremely tight muscle knots can cause excruciating pain. Although massage can eventually work them loose, trigger point injections are usually faster and provide more complete relief.

Medication Management

Medication is typically prescribed for any form of pain, including that caused by osteoarthritis. Our medication management services ensure that you get the medication you need, while we work toward slowly reducing the amount of medication necessary.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is at the heart of pain management. In fact, all of our other pain management options are designed to give you enough relief that you can fully participate in physical therapy.

Your physical therapist will perform a detailed evaluation of your osteoarthritis, your strength and range of motion in the affected joints, and your overall health history. You will then embark on a customized exercise program to reduce pain, build strength, and improve flexibility. Your physical therapist will closely monitor your pain levels, and provide heat, ice, or electrical stimulation as needed during your therapy.

Note that you will also be assigned exercises to perform at home. The success of physical therapy depends on your active participation both during your sessions and at home. The more you are willing to put into physical therapy, the more you will get out of it.

‍