Pain Center at Sibley Memorial Hospital

Mother, father, daughter and grandmother smiling on couch

If you suffer from chronic pain, chances are your physician will refer you to a pain center that offers a wide variety of services to help you live a more pain-free life.

The Sibley Memorial Hospital Pain Center provides the latest in minimally invasive treatment options for relieving pain associated with everything from sports injuries to chronic arthritis. The field of pain management is filled with new, minimally invasive pain treatment modalities that are replacing oral narcotics as the standard of care, giving more pain management options to patients. The Pain Center’s staff focuses on pain treatment and has a wide range of tools to tailor pain treatments to the many causes of chronic pain. Sibley’s specialists have brought a hugely improved quality of life to many people who have been dealing with persistent pain for years.

Patient Forms

New and returning patients should print, complete and bring a medication reconciliation form to the appointment.

What to Expect

When you come to the Pain Center for your appointment, please:

  • Leave any valuables or jewelry at home
  • Bring your insurance card and photo ID

For many of our procedures, you will need to arrange for transportation home. Your physician will let you know if you will be able to drive home when you discuss the procedure.

Most major insurance plans cover pain medicine services. But insurance policies vary, so please check with your insurance carrier.

Conditions We Treat

Chronic Back and Neck Pain

  • Degenerative disc disease
  • Radiculopathy
  • Cervical and lumbar strain
  • Facet disease
  • Post-surgery pain

Nerve Related Pain

  • Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (also known as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy)
  • Peripheral or diabetic neuropathy
  • Phantom limb pain/post-amputation pain
  • HIV-related pain
  • Peripheral nerve injury
  • Central pain syndromes after stroke or spinal cord injury
  • Post-herpetic neuralgia and herpes zoster
  • Headaches (occipital neuralgia, migraines, tension headache, cluster headache)
  • Facial pain — TMJ, neuromas (trauma), atypical facial pain
  • Musculoskeletal pain
  • Myofascial pain syndrome
  • Chest wall pain
  • Piriformis Syndrome
  • Arthritis and joint pain

Other Types of Pain

  • Abdominal/pelvic pain
  • Whiplash-associated disorders
  • Cancer pain: treatments include intrathecal pumps (implanted and controlled by the patient)
  • Sacroiliac joint pain

Our Approach

At Sibley, we provide a comprehensive set of approaches to improving your quality of life. Care begins with a comprehensive evaluation of each patient to determine the best treatment possible, which may include referrals to other specialists. The end result is an individualized plan for your particular situation, and connections to the right provider, whether they specialize in neurosurgery, orthopaedic surgery, neurology, physical therapy, occupational therapy or psychological services.

As there are many types of pain, there are many ways to treat it. Ideally the cause of the pain is treated, but when the cause is not immediately treatable a pain management team may use a number of other methods.

  • Physical methods, such as physical therapy and massage, can be used to strengthen the body and reduce pressure on nerves in affected areas.
  • Interventional procedures are used to disrupt or alter the transmission of pain in the body; common methods include nerve blocks, facet joint injections and nerve stimulation.
  • Psychological methods involve teaching coping techniques that allow a person with persistent pain to process and reduce the effects of pain.
  • Medications range from over-the-counter non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as acetaminophen to extremely powerful opiate painkillers; due to the possibility of addiction and potential side effects, medication must be carefully managed by the team.

Pain Testing Services

  • Appropriate testing (MRI, CAT scan)
  • Comprehensive evaluation (medical, rehabilitative, psychological, functional capacity/vocational assessment, disability determination)
  • Special studies (diagnostic nerve blocks)
  • Medical and pharmacologic management
  • Anesthesia-related treatments (nerve block injection therapy, intraspinal infusions, radiofrequency neuroablation, myofacial injections)
  • Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
  • Referrals for physical and occupational therapy, psychological consultations, relaxation and stress management training and acupuncture

Interventional Pain Procedures