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The path to pain relief

Exploring the different ways to treat your pain doesn’t have to be stressful. Let’s look at the options available to help you find relief.

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Self-care and wellness

Self-care and wellness play a crucial role in managing your pain, whether it’s acute or chronic. By incorporating practices like mindfulness and exercise in your daily routine and maintaining healthy habits, you can make a significant difference in how you experience and cope with pain. 

By prioritizing your well-being, you can take an active role in easing chronic pain while improving your quality of life. 

Types of treatment and support

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Cold

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Heat

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Stretching

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Walking

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Yoga

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Meditation

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Nutrition

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Sleep

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Exercise

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OTC Meds

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Primary and alternative care

For pain that’s starting to impact your daily activities, your doctor may begin with basic general therapies.  

The most basic treatments for pain don’t require a prescription and can usually be done at home with or without help from a healthcare professional.  If your pain persists, your doctor may progress to more definitive solutions. 

Types of treatment and support

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Massage therapy

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Physical therapy or chiropractic care

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Prescription medications

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Medical marijuana

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Nerve stimulation (TENS)

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Specialty care

Interventional pain treatments are often the next step your doctor will consider when your pain can’t be treated using noninterventional methods.

These are typically outpatient treatment options designed to provide you with 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.

Types of treatment and support

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Epidural steroid injections (ESI) or nerve blocks

Injection of an anesthetic, steroid, and/or anti-inflammatory into your painful area.

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Implantable drug pumps

Implantable pumps deliver pain medication directly to the space surrounding your spinal cord. Alleviating pain with the push of a button.

The pumps delivering the medication need frequent specialized care.

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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
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The Intracept™ Procedure

The Intracept Procedure is a minimally invasive treatment designed to target vertebrogenic pain, a source of chronic low back pain (CLBP). By interrupting pain signals at their origin, this proven solution can provide meaningful, long-term relief for patients with CLBP who haven’t found success with other treatments.

Learn about the Intracept Procedure
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Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS)

SCS therapy can help manage chronic pain in your 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
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Surgery

Your doctor or pain management specialist may recommend surgery in some select cases to help you find relief.

Surgery is generally more invasive and carries greater risks than other pain therapies.

Types of treatment and support

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Surgical treatments and procedures

Surgical treatments such as laminectomy and spinal fusion may be needed when structural problems occur within the spinal column. These treatments may require prolonged postoperative hospitalization and rehabilitation.

Other much rarer surgical techniques — neurolytic blocks with phenol and alcohol, and cordotomy — may be used as a last resort when other therapies fail. These work by permanently destroying nerves and tissue that conduct pain and are most often used to relieve pain due to cancer or other incurable diseases.

EDUCATION AND SUPPORT

Dive deeper into our pain solutions

Find the tools and resources you need to understand and manage your pain. From articles to webinars to real-time help, we’ve got you covered. 

Explore pain relief resources

Live educational webinars

Watch from the comfort of your own home as pain specialist doctors explain how different treatments work.

Find a webinar

Helpful articles for finding relief

Check out our library of articles to learn more about causes and symptoms of pain, treatment options, and coping strategies.

Read articles

Addiction resources

Discover trusted resources to help you or your loved ones take the first step toward recovery from opioid addiction.

See helpful links

Doctor Discussion Guide

Get the most out of your doctor visit. Download and print this handy guide to help you prepare, ask the right questions, and provide the information your doctor needs to help you find the right solution. 

Download the Guide

§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.

Indications for Use: The Boston Scientific Spinal Cord Stimulator (SCS) 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.

*The Boston Scientific Spinal Cord Stimulator (SCS) Systems include the following: Precision™ System, Precision Spectra™ System, Precision Novi™ System, Precision Montage™ MRI System, Spectra WaveWriter™ System, WaveWriter Alpha™ System, WaveWriter Alpha™ Prime System.

Note: CRPS I was previously referred to as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) and CRPS II was previously referred to as causalgia.

The mySCS™ Go Therapy Controller is intended to communicate with and control the compatible Boston Scientific Stimulator.

Contraindications: The Boston Scientific 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.

Warnings: With all medical procedures, there are risks associated with the procedure and the use of the device. 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 Boston Scientific 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.

Be sure to talk with your doctor so that you thoroughly understand all of the risks, precautions, and benefits associated with the use of the device and what indicates, and contraindicates, certain patients– as well as the risks and precautions for the procedure. 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 Intracept™ Intraosseous Nerve Ablation System is indicated for patients who have had chronic low back pain for at least six months, who have tried conservative care for at least six months, and whose MRI shows features consistent with Modic changes – indicating damage at the vertebral endplates has led to inflammation. Not every patient who meets these criteria is a candidate for the Intracept Procedure, however – in fact, there are specific characteristics indicating a patient should not be considered for the procedure.

Contraindications: Patients who are pregnant. Patients with weakened cardiac or pulmonary function, having an active implanted electronic medical device in the body (such as a pacemaker or defibrillator), being diagnosed with a systemic or local infection, or having an anatomy that could be damaged unintentionally while ablating the basivertebral nerve (based on your physicians’ clinical review). Patients who are skeletally immature – which generally means individuals under the age of 18 are not candidates.

Warnings: There are also certain risks and precautions regarding the procedure which you should be aware of before proceeding. With all medical procedures, there are risks and precautions associated with the procedure and the use of the device, talk with your doctor about what indicates, and contraindicates, certain patients for the Intracept Intraosseous Nerve Ablation System. For complete indications for use, contraindications, warnings, precautions, and side effects visit www.relievant.com/intracept/.
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: With all medical procedures, there are risks associated with the procedure and the use of the device. 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. Talk with your doctor so that you thoroughly understand all of the risks, precautions, and benefits associated with the use of the Boston Scientific Radiofrequency Generators, associated Radiofrequency Lesion Probes and RF Cannula and what indicates, and contraindicates, certain patients– as well as the risks and precautions for the procedure. 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.

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