Managing pain begins with understanding the underlying condition causing it. While all pain is related to pressure on a nerve or nerves, there can be a number of reasons that pressure occurs, including tumors, abnormal bone growth or fractures, blood-vessel conditions, pathogens that attack nerves and others. Patients who come to Sutter Neuroscience Institute often undergo neurodiagnostic testing to give doctors a clear picture of the nature and extent of the pain-causing condition. When possible, treatment aims to relieve the pain by correcting the fundamental cause through medication, physical therapy, or traditional, minimally invasive and noninvasive surgery techniques. Because Sutter specialists work directly with patients, they can develop a reasonable treatment path and refine it as needed to create the plan that's ideal for each patient.

For more information about pain treatment, visit:

Sutter Neuroscience Institute Spine Program – back and spine pain

Sutter Orthopaedic Institute – knee, hip and ankle pain

Sutter Neuroscience Institute Neurology – headache pain

Visit our Health Information Library for more information about chronic pain.