Pain Clinic

(1) Overview

We provide treatment for a variety of diseases that cause pain, most commonly lower back pain due to a herniated disk or cervical (neck) issues causing pain in the neck, shoulders, and arms.
We also provide treatments for patients with excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis), facial blushing (erythromania), and diseases associated with involuntary movement and paralysis.
Many of our treatments are based on nerve-block therapy, which is a method of treatment to inject pain-relieving medications nearby the nerves or on the nerves themselves that are causing pain. Nerve blocks have an advantage of showing its efficacy quickly after the injections.
We also offer various treatments such as medication, rehabilitation or surgical treatment, depending on the preference of our patients.

(2) Policy

We, at the pain clinic, strive to equally prioritize the process of making the correct diagnosis and providing pain management. While we understand the importance of determining the cause of the pain, we also see many patients suffer longer than needed due to the emphasis placed on making a diagnosis. We therefore provide pain-relieving treatments at an early stage, in order to improve the quality of life of our patients. We provide treatment to reduce pain while establishing the cause of the pain. In conventional medicine, the emphasis has been placed on the diagnosis of the diseases if patients complain of any chronic pain such as back pain. However, in many cases, pain itself is often become more of the issue than the finding the cause of the pain. We therefore provide treatments to reduce pain at an early stage, in order to improve the quality of life (QOL). of our patients.

(3) Our Strengths

Epidural Block for Treatment of Back Pain

Of our patients, the largest proportion of patients are those who have lower back pains or pain in the lower limbs. The treatment often selected for lower back pain is a nerve block called an epidural block. The epidural block is a procedure to inject local anesthetics to epidural spaces around aching nerves to block sympathetic nerve function, and act to relieve abnormal stimulation of the sensory nerves. The epidural block is often tried as the first treatment for herniated discs and spinal stenosis.

Treatment Option for Chronic Headache

Conditions that cause chronic headaches include migraines, cluster headaches, vascular headaches, and tension headaches.
For vascular headaches, a condition caused by cerebral vasodilation, standard treatments include oral medications and nerve block called stellate ganglion block.
As for tension headache which is related to tension of the muscle at the back of the head, we may use a combination of nerve blocks to target multiple areas of pain. Patients with chronic headaches often have a decline in mood and we may prescribe mood stabilizers, when appropriate.

Chronic headaches can sometimes last for months to years. Patients therefore often have to learn to live with their headache. We provide advice to our patients on tips and coping mechanisms to improve their quality of life.

We Also Treat Conditions That Do Not Involve Pain

We provide treatment to various diseases and symptoms such as hyperhidrosis, facial paralysis, involuntary movement, and autonomic dysfunction. The treatment for hyperhidrosis include oral medications, stellate ganglion block, and surgery called ETS (Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy). For patients with severe facial paralysis who need surgery, we will provide a referral to specialists.

Message for Our Patients

Chronic pain can trigger depression and pain in other parts of the body. For example, neck pain, back pain, or nausea can accompany frozen shoulder. To avoid vicious circles of pain, it is ideal to address pain at an early stage. For example, if your lower back pain does not go away after few days’ rest, we suggest you visit our department for treatment.