Dr. Kenneth Sykes is the Interventional Pain Management specialist at Mid-Tennessee Bone and Joint. Dr. Sykes’ mission is to serve patients in a professional, courteous, and compassionate manner. He uses state-of-the-art, high quality treatments to offer a comprehensive and multi-disciplinary approach to caring for patients living in pain caused by a variety of medical conditions.
 
Interventional Pain Management is the treatment of chronic pain, due to a variety of conditions, using pain blocking techniques typically in the form of injections. Chronic pain differs from acute pain in that the patient has suffered from chronic pain typically for more than six months, and may persist despite the fact that the initial injury or condition that caused the pain has been treated. Acute pain typically starts quickly (as with an injury) and eventually resolves.

Dr. Sykes performs several different procedures that are geared toward patients who suffer chronic pain and have not been able to find relief via over the counter medication, prescription medication, physical therapy, or lifestyle changes.

• Caudal Epidural injection – A therapeutic caudal is a radiological guided procedure in which scar tissues and adhesions in the epidural space can be evaluated and/or dissolved around entrapped nerves in the epidural space of the spine. By dissolving scar tissue, medications such as cortisone can better reach the affected areas.

• Epidural Nerve Block – An epidural nerve block is an injection into the epidural space of your spine. The purpose of this injection is to reduce the pressure, swelling, and inflammation around the nerves thus reducing or eliminating the symptoms.

• Genicular Nerve Block – A genicular nerve block is an injection of local anesthetic near the genicular nerves of the knee, and it is performed to relieve knee pain.

• Medial Branch Nerve Block – Facet or medial branch nerve blocks are injections into the facet joint or near the nerve, and they are performed to relieve back or neck pain.

• Peripheral Nerve Block – Peripheral nerve blocks are injections of local anesthetic near the nerves, and they are performed to relieve various types of chronic or acute pains. This procedure helps reduce pain and it helps physicians find out where the pain is generated.

• Radiofrequency Lesioning – Radiofrequency lesioning is a safe, proven means of interrupting pain signals. Radiofrequency current is used to heat up a small volume of nerve tissues, thereby interrupting pain signals from that specific area.

• Sacroiliac Joint Injection – An SI joint injection is an injection of local anesthetic and steroid into the SI joint. The purpose of this injection is to reduce the pressure, swelling, and inflammation in the joint space reducing or eliminating the symptoms.

• Transforaminal Epidural Injection – A transforaminal epidural injection is performed to relieve low back and radiating leg pain, or neck pain and radiating arm pain.

The treatments Dr. Sykes performs directly address the source of the pain. Maximum benefits may be achieved with as few as two or three sessions, but each patient is different and Dr. Sykes will work with you specifically to determine the most effective course of treatment.

Presently, Dr. Sykes is only seeing patients when referred from a primary care physician. Please have your treating physician call our office at 931-381-2663 to schedule your appointment.