MAYFAIR DIAGNOSTICS COCHRANE OFFERS PAIN MANAGEMENT

Pain management services are available at Mayfair Diagnostics Cochrane, centrally located in downtown Cochrane. The clinic is across from the Cochrane Community Health Centre at the northwest corner of the Grande Boulevard t-intersection – Unit 1123, 116 Grande Boulevard.

Pain management procedures help treat chronic pain and symptoms of osteoarthritis. Mayfair doctors use X-ray and ultrasound technology to precisely inject medication through a small needle, or perform treatment on soft tissues. These procedures can help manage your pain and joint stiffness with little risk and often provide pain relief right away.

Mayfair Diagnostics Cochrane offers general pain services, making it easier for patients in Cochrane and surrounding areas to receive pain treatments closer to home and not have to travel into Calgary. Convenience is an important factor in ensuring that patients can access the medical services they need, when they need them.

Mayfair Diagnostics Cochrane offers bone mineral densitometry, breast imaging, and ultrasound services, in addition to pain management. Please note, our Cochrane clinic does not offer X-ray services. X-ray services are available at the Cochrane Community Health Centre. To access the clinic, you will need to turn into the Grande Plaza parking lot and park in the southeast corner.

WHAT ARE PAIN MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES?

Pain management procedures use X-ray or ultrasound imaging to help treat chronic pain or inflammation by precisely injecting medication through a small needle or performing treatment on soft tissues. For example, a cortisone injection introduces a steroid (an anti-inflammatory medication) into joints, or around tendons or bursa, to decrease inflammation, and reduce pain. Or a hyaluronic acid injection will introduce a gel-like substance to help lubricate the joint and treat pain and osteoarthritis in joints. These procedures allow a small dose of medication to be injected into a localized and specific area of concern while keeping potential side effects to a minimum.

Pain management procedures may involve some discomfort or very short-lived pain during the injection and when administering the local anesthetic. However, pain perception depends greatly on your pain threshold and the degree of inflammation of the area involved. Most patients find the pain tolerable. Mayfair’s expert team has extensive experience in performing these procedures and do our very best to make them as quick and painless as possible.

The cost for cortisone injections, tendon calcification, and needling fenestration therapies are fully covered under the Alberta Health Care Insurance plan. Some pain management procedures include a cost for the medication (hyaluronic acid), which is charged at the manufacturer’s cost, or a cost for the entire treatment (APS, platelet-rich plasma injections).

WHAT HAPPENS DURING A PAIN MANAGEMENT PROCEDURE?

Prior to your pain management procedure, please note the following:

• If you are on anticoagulation drugs (Plavix, Coumadin, Warfarin etc.) you may need to have an international normalized ratio (INR) test and stop your medication prior to the procedure. Please inform our booking coordinators of any blood thinners you may be taking, so that they can discuss further instructions with you.
• If you take insulin to manage your diabetes, please let your booking coordinator know.
• For any procedure that may cause mobility issues or discomfort, you may need to have someone accompany you on the day of your test and possibly drive you home.

Depending on the area being treated, you may need to change into a gown. A team member will review the consent form and procedure details and answer any questions.

When we are ready to begin, a technologist will bring you into the treatment room and position you on the table. A radiologist will evaluate the area, clean the skin, and inject a local anesthetic. Once frozen, under image guidance, the radiologist will use a sterile needle to inject the medication/biologic preparation into the affected joint or begin the needle therapy.

You will be assessed post-injection by our team and, if there are no concerns, you will be free to leave. After the treatment, you will be advised:

• First 24 hours: Keep the treatment area clean. Leave the Band-Aid on. Do not shower. Please rest the injected area for the rest of the day after your injection.
• First 48 hours: Avoid bathtubs, hot tubs, and pools. Avoid strenuous activity and lifting.
• After one week: Avoid strenuous activity or physiotherapy for at least five days following your injection with a gradual return to activity. Be mindful of your pain and stop if it hurts too much, or other symptoms worsen. You may resume physiotherapy, but notify your physiotherapist that you have had this injection so they can modify your exercises if necessary.

WHEN WILL I SEE RESULTS?

After your injection, the freezing may last for a few hours. Your symptoms may return until the steroid takes effect in 3-7 days. Please track your symptom response to share with your physician.

A steroid injection typically provides three months of symptom relief. If an injection does not help relieve your symptoms, then you may need further evaluation by your referring doctor for another cause of your symptoms.

HOW DO I GET A PAIN MANAGEMENT PROCEDURE?

This exam is covered under your Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan and must be requested by a health care practitioner. To determine whether it is appropriate for you, your doctor will often review your medical and family history, risk factors, how long symptoms have been present, and how they affect daily activities. If this exam is indicated as a best next course of action, your doctor will provide you with a requisition and the appointment can be booked.

These exams are also performed at our Castleridge, Mahogany Village, Market Mall, and Mayfair Place locations.