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Understanding and taking control of your pain

One thing about pain — you know it when you have it. And if you suffer from constant pain, over time it wears you down — physically, mentally, emotionally.

Trying to understand all of the different treatment options available can feel like it just adds to the stress. Let’s take a look at some of the options to simplify your search and identify which ones might work best for you.

Different pains need different treatment options

 The treatment option that will work best for you depends on the source of your pain and how it is impacting your functions.

Only you and your doctor can determine if you are a good candidate for specific pain treatment options. Pain management specialists are doctors who specialize in treating all kinds of pain. In addition to their normal residency training in their subspecialty, these doctors receive years of advanced specialized training in pain management and focus on treating patients with severe pain. If you do not currently have a pain management specialist, use the Doctor Locator to locate one near you.

Understanding pain management treatment options

Your doctor will usually follow a treatment plan that begins with basic general therapies and progresses to more definitive solutions. This is because simple options such as lifestyle changes, diet changes, or specific exercises may often suffice in reducing your pain.

Noninterventional Treatments

Interventional Pain Treatments

Surgical Methods

Noninterventional treatments

The most basic of these don’t require a prescription and can usually be done at home with or without help from a healthcare professional. These are treatments that do not include injections, implants, or other surgical procedures.

  • Rest and diet changes
  • Exercise and physical therapy
  • Acupuncture, massage, and spinal adjustment
  • Anti-inflammatory drugs (eg, ibuprofen)
  • Cognitive and behavioral modification
  • Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)

Other noninterventional treatments are used as a first step when there are no improvements from basic treatments. These include:

  • Prescription opioid and non-opioid medications
  • Prescription painkillers, muscle relaxants, antiseizure drugs, and some antidepressants

Interventional pain treatments

These are typically outpatient treatment options that can provide long-term pain relief. They are less invasive and have a quicker recovery time than most surgical procedures and are often used when noninterventional treatments fail and invasive surgery is too aggressive.

  • Epidural steroid injections (ESI) or nerve blocks
    Injection of an anesthetic, steroid, and/or anti-inflammatory into the pained area
  • Radiofrequency ablation (RFA)
    RFA is a minimally invasive outpatient procedure that uses thermal energy to interrupt pain signals at their source. RFA can be used to treat pain in the back, hips, knees, shoulders, feet, and neck, and can provide months—or even years—of relief. Learn about RFA
  • Spinal cord stimulation (SCS)
    SCS therapy can help manage chronic pain of the lower back and limbs by using mild electrical impulses to interrupt pain signals. Boston Scientific SCS Systems offer more therapy options in a single device than any other system, which provides a greater chance of finding effective, long-term relief for your personal pain. Although a minimally invasive treatment, SCS may also be used to help manage pain that is unresolved—or even caused—by more invasive surgical procedures. Learn about SCS
  • Vertiflex™ Procedure†
    The Vertiflex Procedure is a unique treatment clinically proven to provide long-term relief from pain associated with lumbar spinal stenosis. Using a simple, safe, and minimally invasive technique, the small device helps relieve pressure on nerves that cause pain in the lower back and legs. Learn about Vertiflex Procedure

Surgical methods

These are more aggressive procedures that may be necessary to correct structural damage or to relieve pain that does not respond to other treatments.

  • Surgery
    Surgical treatments such as laminectomy and spinal fusion may be needed when structural problems occur within the spinal column. These treatments often require prolonged postoperative hospitalization and rehabilitation.
  • Implantable drug pumps
    Pumps deliver pain medication directly to the space surrounding the spinal cord. The pumps delivering the medication need frequent specialized care.
  • Other surgical procedures
    Often used as a last resort when other therapies fail, some surgical techniques, such as neurolytic blocks with phenol and alcohol, and cordotomy, permanently destroy nerves and tissue that conduct pain. These procedures are most often used to relieve pain due to cancer or other incurable diseases.

Note: The descriptions of various treatments on this page are intended for informational purposes only. You should consult your doctor about your treatment options before beginning any course of treatment.

Boston Scientific treats many kinds of pain

Depending on the cause of the pain, Boston Scientific offers nonpharmaceutical solutions that can provide relief for many types of pain in the following areas.

Experiencing pain in a different area?

There are many tools available to help you track or learn more about your pain. Speak with your doctor or a pain management specialist to learn about the pain management options that may be right for you.

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Find a pain management doctor near you

Use our Doctor Locator to explore pain management specialists in your area. 

Start your search. ⟶

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Our solutions for your relief

Where many one-size-fits-all treatments fail to provide long-term relief, Boston Scientific provides therapies that can be customized to treat your unique pain. The more we can personalize your treatment, the more likely you are to experience lasting pain relief.

Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS)

SCS therapy uses an implanted device to deliver mild electrical impulses that interrupt pain signals your nerves send through your spinal cord. This can help prevent you from perceiving the pain.

Vertiflex™ Procedure†

This minimally invasive outpatient procedure uses a small spacer to relieve pain associated with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS).

Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)

RFA is a minimally invasive outpatient procedure that uses thermal energy to interrupt pain signals at the source.

Explore Your Options

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†Superion™ Indirect Decompression System.

Indications for Use: The Boston Scientific Spinal Cord Stimulator Systems are indicated as an aid in the management of chronic intractable pain of the trunk and/or limbs including unilateral or bilateral pain associated with the following: failed back surgery syndrome, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) Types I and II, intractable low back pain and leg pain, Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy of the lower extremities, radicular pain syndrome, radiculopathies resulting in pain secondary to failed back syndrome or herniated disc, epidural fibrosis, degenerative disc disease (herniated disc pain refractory to conservative and surgical interventions), arachnoiditis, multiple back surgeries. The Boston Scientific Spectra WaveWriter™, WaveWriter Alpha™ and WaveWriter Alpha™ Prime SCS Systems are also indicated as an aid in the management of chronic intractable unilateral or bilateral low back and leg pain without prior back surgery.

Contraindications. The Spinal Cord Stimulator systems are not for patients who are unable to operate the system, have failed trial stimulation by failing to receive effective pain relief, are poor surgical candidates, or are pregnant.

MR Conditional symbol

Boston Scientific’s ImageReady™ MRI Technology makes safe MRI head scans possible. Patients implanted with the Precision Spectra™ or Spectra WaveWriter™ Spinal Cord Stimulator Systems with ImageReady™ MRI Technology are "MR Conditional" only when exposed to the MRI environment under the specific conditions defined in the applicable ImageReady™ MRI Head Only Guidelines for Precision Spectra™ or Spectra WaveWriter™ Spinal Cord Stimulator Systems.

MR Conditional symbolBoston Scientific’s ImageReady™ MRI Full Body Technology makes safe MRI scans possible. The Precision Montage™ MRI, WaveWriter Alpha™ and WaveWriter Alpha™ Prime SCS Systems with ImageReady™ MRI Full Body Technology are “MR Conditional” only when exposed to the MRI environment under the specific conditions defined in the applicable ImageReady™ MRI Full Body Guidelines for Precision Montage™ MRI or WaveWriter Alpha™ and WaveWriter Alpha™ Prime Spinal Cord Stimulator Systems.

Warnings. Patients implanted with Boston Scientific Spinal Cord Stimulator Systems without ImageReady™ MRI Technology should not be exposed to Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Exposure to MRI may result in dislodgement of the stimulator or leads, heating of the stimulator, severe damage to the stimulator electronics and an uncomfortable or jolting sensation. As a Spinal Cord Stimulation patient, you should not have diathermy as either a treatment for a medical condition or as part of a surgical procedure. Strong electromagnetic fields, such as power generators or theft detection systems, can potentially turn the stimulator off, or cause uncomfortable jolting stimulation. The system should not be charged while sleeping. The Spinal Cord Stimulator system may interfere with the operation of implanted sensing stimulators such as pacemakers or implanted cardiac defibrillators. Advise your physician that you have a Spinal Cord Stimulator before going through with other implantable device therapies so that medical decisions can be made and appropriate safety measures taken. Patients using therapy that generates paresthesia should not operate motorized vehicles such as automobiles or potentially dangerous machinery and equipment with the stimulation on. Stimulation must be turned off first in such cases. For therapy that does not generate paresthesia (i.e. subperception therapy) it is less likely that sudden stimulation changes resulting in distraction could occur while having stimulation on when operating moving vehicles, machinery, and equipment. Your doctor may be able to provide additional information on the Boston Scientific Spinal Cord Stimulator systems.  For complete indications for use, contraindications, warnings, precautions, and side effects, call 866.360.4747 or visit Pain.com. Caution: U.S. Federal law restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a physician.

Indications for Use: The Superion™ Indirect Decompression System (IDS) is indicated to treat skeletally mature patients suffering from pain, numbness, and/or cramping in the legs (neurogenic intermittent claudication) secondary to a diagnosis of moderate degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis, with or without Grade 1 spondylolisthesis, having radiographic evidence of thickened ligamentum flavum, narrowed lateral recess, and/or central canal or foraminal narrowing. The Superion™ Interspinous Spacer is indicated for those patients with impaired physical function who experience relief in flexion from symptoms of leg/buttock/groin pain, with or without back pain, who have undergone at least 6 months of non-operative treatment. The Superion Interspinous Spacer may be implanted at one or two adjacent lumbar levels in patients in whom treatment is indicated at no more than two levels, from L1 to L5. Contraindications, warnings, precautions, side effects. The Superion Indirect Decompression System (IDS) is contraindicated for patients who: have spinal anatomy that prevent implantation of the device or cause the device to be unstable in situ (i.e., degenerative spondylolisthesis greater than grade 1), Cauda equina syndrome, or prior decompression or fusion at the index level, scoliosis or spinous process fractures, osteoporosis, infection, allergy or reaction to any metal or implant or a high Body Mass Index. Avoid strenuous activity for 6 weeks after surgery, contact your physician if there is fluid leaking from your incision, if you have pain, swelling or numbness in your legs or buttocks or if you fall. Refer to the Instructions for Use provided on www.vertiflex.com for additional Indications for Use, contraindications information and potential adverse effects, warnings, and precautions prior to using this product. Caution: U.S. Federal law restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a physician.

Indications for Use: The Boston Scientific Radiofrequency Generators, associated Radiofrequency Lesion Probes and RF Cannula are indicated for use in procedures to create radiofrequency lesions for the treatment of pain or for lesioning nerve tissue for functional neurosurgical procedures. The Boston Scientific RF Injection Electrodes are used for percutaneous nerve blocks with local anesthetic solution for radiofrequency lesioning of peripheral nerve tissue only. The Boston Scientific LCED and Stereotactic TCD Electrodes are indicated for use in radiofrequency (RF) heat lesioning of nervous tissue including the Central Nervous System.

Warnings: The Boston Scientific RF devices may cause interference with active devices such as neurostimulators, cardiac pacemakers, and defibrillators. Interference may affect the action of these active devices or may damage them. For appropriate guidance, consult the instructions for use for these active devices. Caution: U.S. Federal law restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a physician.

§The physician locator tool identifies pain management specialists in your area who have met certain qualifying criteria and are experienced with one or more of Boston Scientific pain management therapies. All treatment options should be discussed thoroughly with a pain management specialist.