Pain Medicine

Department Introduction. The Pain Department of Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine opened a pain clinic in 2004 and is one of the earliest departments in the province to carry out pain treatment. In 2013 it became one of the key discipline-building disciplines of Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The department is the chair unit of the Pain Medicine Branch of the Zhejiang Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the vice-chair unit of the Pain Physicians Branch of the Zhejiang Medical Doctor Association. The department combines minimally invasive interventional surgery with physical therapy and traditional Chinese medicine therapies to treat pain disorders including spinal-origin pain (lumbar disc herniation, cervical spondylosis), intractable head and facial pain (trigeminal neuralgia, occipital pain, chronic migraine), neuralgia (post-herpetic neuralgia, diabetic peripheral neuropathy), advanced cancer pain, and various acute and chronic musculoskeletal injuries. The discipline persists in continuous innovation and improvement of diagnostic and treatment techniques, is at the leading level in the province in pain diagnosis and treatment, and absorbs and applies the most advanced pain treatment techniques at home and abroad. Relying on the largest hospital of traditional Chinese medicine in the province, the department always adheres to the integration of Chinese and Western medicine and provides diverse and effective treatment methods for a broad range of pain patients. Technical Advantages. Post-herpetic neuralgia: For the treatment of post-herpetic neuralgia, in addition to the conventional application of minimally invasive interventional pulsed radiofrequency technology, an integrated Chinese-Western treatment plan is also adopted; oral Chinese herbal medicine and a self-made external preparation for shingles have been used in the clinical treatment of patients with herpetic neuralgia, relieving skin pain, itching and tightness. In addition, Chinese medicine treatments such as fire needling also have good efficacy. Diagnosis and treatment of difficult pain: The department began paying attention to the diagnosis and treatment of difficult pain years ago, has accumulated rich experience, and has established an MDT clinic combining Chinese and Western medicine for difficult pain, led by the Pain Department, with an expert team composed of pain medicine, neurology, orthopedics and traumatology, rheumatology and immunology, medical oncology, internal medicine of traditional Chinese medicine, mental health, and medical imaging. With the diagnostic and treatment experience of integrated Chinese-Western medicine and multidisciplinary comprehensive advantages, a multidisciplinary comprehensive assessment of the condition is made to achieve precise diagnosis and treatment. Cervical and lumbar disc herniation: Precise radiofrequency target ablation and collagenase treatment under CT localization are routinely carried out. For some patients who wish to be treated conservatively, an integrated Chinese-Western three-dimensional minimally invasive treatment plan is formulated, mainly including pulsed stimulation or radiofrequency thermocoagulation release of lumbar nerve roots in the intervertebral foramen area combined with ozone anti-inflammatory decompression, radiofrequency thermocoagulation or needle-knife release of the posterior ramus of the lumbar nerve, CT-visualized needle-knife limited incision and release of the ligamentum flavum outside the spinal canal and at the outlet of the nerve root canal, and needle-knife decompression and release of soft tissues outside the spinal canal. Diagnosis and treatment of low back pain: Radiofrequency target ablation is combined with characteristic Chinese medicine treatments, such as silver needles, edge needles and needle knife, along with treatment based on syndrome differentiation; oral Chinese herbal medicine supports qi and blood and nourishes the zang-fu organs and meridians, and rehabilitation training is coordinated to accelerate recovery through integrated Chinese-Western medicine. Diagnosis and treatment of headache: For headaches caused by neck muscle injuries, shock wave or silver needle soft tissue release can be used; for nerve entrapment, minimally invasive radiofrequency neuromodulation is performed; if the cause is disc-related, radiofrequency plasma treatment is available. For patients diagnosed with migraine, oral Chinese herbal medicine combined with minimally invasive treatment is adopted, and the headaches have been clearly controlled. Soft tissue injuries: Silver needle therapy as a release technique has achieved highly satisfactory results in patients with severe low back and leg pain, neck-arm pain, shoulder joint pain and knee joint pain; in special patients we also combine radiofrequency and other treatments to enhance efficacy. We have also innovatively applied painless silver needle treatment, improving patient acceptance and satisfaction. Visualized procedures: Treatments in both outpatient and inpatient settings are completed under the guidance of visualization such as ultrasound and CT, which improves efficacy while ensuring medical safety. Academic Standing. Key discipline-building discipline of Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine; chair unit of the Pain Medicine Branch of the Zhejiang Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine; vice-chair unit of the Pain Physicians Branch of the Zhejiang Medical Doctor Association. Research Achievements. Under the leadership of Dr. Zhang Juan, chief physician and discipline leader, after more than ten years of development the department has undertaken and won awards for multiple national and provincial-ministerial pain research projects, and has built one of the stronger pain treatment teams in the province, relieving the pain of numerous suffering patients, enabling them to return to work, enjoy a good life, and regain dignity and confidence.