How We Determine the Cause of Your Back Pain
Back pain can come from discs, joints, nerves, muscles, ligaments, arthritis, spinal stenosis, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, or pain that travels from another area. At Medway Pain Center, evaluation begins with a careful history, physical examination, review of imaging when available, and attention to how your symptoms behave with movement, sitting, standing, and walking.
The goal is to identify the most likely pain generator before recommending a treatment plan.
Choosing the Right Treatment for Your Back Pain
Treatment depends on the diagnosis. Some patients improve with conservative care, while others may benefit from image-guided procedures that target the suspected source of pain.
Why One Procedure May Be Better Than Another
Different procedures treat different pain sources. An epidural injection targets inflamed or compressed spinal nerves, while medial branch blocks and radiofrequency ablation target pain from the small facet joints in the spine. SI joint injections focus on the joint between the spine and pelvis, and trigger point injections focus on painful muscle areas.
Choosing carefully helps avoid unnecessary procedures and improves the chance that treatment matches your actual diagnosis.
Your Treatment Journey at Medway Pain Center
Your care usually begins with an evaluation, diagnosis, and review of prior treatments or imaging. From there, Dr. Tochi Umunakwe and the Medway Pain Center team explain your options, discuss conservative and interventional choices, and build a plan based on your symptoms, exam findings, and goals.
The focus is to reduce pain, improve function, and help you return to daily activities with a plan that makes clinical sense for your condition.
