Services
The ANMC Pain Management clinic specializes in providing a full range of services to reduce or eliminate back, leg, arm and neck pain, including:
- Intralaminar epidural steroid injections (injection for the nerve as they come out of the spine)
- Nerve root blocks (diagnostic injection, usually in conjunction with neurosurgery)
- Radiofrequency ablations (burning of the nerves in the back to decrease pain)
- Transforaminal epidural steroid injections (injection of the irritated nerve coming out of the back)
- Medial branch block (diagnostic injection for delineating the origin of neck or back pain)
- Facet blocks (injection into a joint in the spine)
- Cryoablation (freezing of a nerve to decrease pain)
- Trigger point injections (local anesthetic injection into the muscles)
- Ganglion block (injection of a nerve center to decrease the pain)
- Spinal cord stimulation (implanted device which helps to decrease pain)
- Suggestions for medications, physical therapy, Behavioral Health Services or Traditional Healing
How do I make an appointment?
How do I make an appointment?
Your primary care provider or another specialist should refer you to the Pain Management Clinic. Patients must complete a questionnaire before an appointment will be made. Patients previously seen in the Pain Management Clinic can call the clinic directly for an appointment.
Who is eligible for services?
All Alaska Native and American Indian people living in Alaska.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long will it take me to be seen?
Once a complete referral is received from your primary care provider, you’ll typically be called to schedule an initial visit with Pain Management within two weeks. Please call our clinic if that time period has lapsed and we have not been in touch.
Do I need an escort?
Unless your mobility is greatly diminished or you have extenuating circumstances, you will not need an escort for most Pain Management appointments and procedures. Your clinic will determine and authorize your escort. For more complex procedures such as spinal cord stimulation, cryoablation or radiofrequency ablation, you will need an escort.
Where is Pain Management located?
We are on the first floor of the Alaska Native Medical Center hospital between Cardiology and Radiology on Water Path 3. Clinic visits will occur at this location, but procedures such as epidural steroid injections, radiofrequency ablations, etc., will typically occur at our Ambulatory Surgery Center located at 3801 University Lake Drive.
Will Pain Management provide me with pain medications?
We will provide medications only for acute pain after a more complex procedure. If you have chronic pain, you should discuss it with your primary care provider to confirm if pain medications are appropriate.
Why must I complete a pain questionnaire prior to being scheduled?
For new referrals/patients, a seven-page pain questionnaire is required. The pain questionnaire provides additional information to the provider, which will help them pinpoint where your pain is generating from and what procedures may benefit you most.
Why is new imaging needed?
Even if you have had imaging (X-rays, MRI, etc.) completed, our providers may need updated images for a variety of reasons, but in particular to understand if your condition has progressed further and what the best course of treatment may be. When we review your medical chart, we will decide whether we feel new imaging is necessary.
Why do I get set up with two appointments?
When you schedule an appointment with Pain Management, we will set up a clinic visit with a provider and a procedure a couple days later. Nearly 80 percent of our patients end up having a procedure completed after seeing a provider, so it is most efficient to book it with your other provider visit.
Why don’t you book my clinic visit and procedure on the same day?
Procedures are completed in our Ambulatory Surgery Center on Wednesdays and Fridays each week. Due to provider availability and for efficiency purposes, we nearly always schedule your clinic visit and procedure on separate days.
After my procedure, will I have permanent pain relief?
No procedure will guarantee permanent pain relief. Our expectation is that our procedures will provide you with relief for up to several months and sometimes several years. This will allow you to participate in more physical therapy and/or home stretching and do other things that are limited by your pain. Our hope is that when you do more, you will need the injections less.
If and when your pain returns, call us to schedule another clinic appointment and procedure, if medically appropriate. There must be 8-12 weeks between epidural steroid injections and at least six months for radiofrequency ablations and cryoablations.
Why can’t I get a procedure if I’m sick?
Steroid-based procedures can depress your immune system for a short period of time. Your pain may also be altered by your infection, skewing our perception of you pain. For your protection, we will avoid conducting procedures on someone who is ill.
Clinic Hours and Contact Information
Hours: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday
Phone: 907-729-2525
Location: Alaska Native Medical Center hospital, first floor on Water Path 1 ( between Cardiology and Radiology)
Most procedures are completed at the Ambulatory Surgery Center, located at 3801 University Lake Drive on the first floor
