Nerve Pain Treatment in Opelousas, LA
Nerve pain can feel burning, shooting, stabbing, electric, or unusually sensitive, and may stay in one area or travel along a nerve into the arm, hand, leg, foot, chest, or groin. Numbness, tingling, weakness, and pain from light touch may occur alongside it.
At Interventional Pain Specialists in Opelousas, our team evaluates where nerve-related symptoms may originate and builds an individualized care plan based on the affected nerve, underlying condition, exam findings, diagnostic information, prior treatments, and effect on daily life.
Led by Albert Gros, Jr., MD, board-certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology and the American Board of Pain Medicine, we offer minimally invasive, image-guided treatment for appropriately selected patients with spinal nerve irritation, localized peripheral nerve pain, post-surgical pain, and other chronic neuropathic conditions.
Nerve Pain Care at Our Opelousas Clinic
Interventional Pain Specialists – Opelousas
Address: 3983 I-49 S. Service Road, Opelousas, LA
Phone: (337) 284-3200
Access to our pain-management team for burning, tingling, radiating, post-surgical, and localized nerve pain. We also have an office in Lafayette and provide image-guided care focused on spine, joint, and nerve conditions. Contact the Opelousas office to confirm availability and where a recommended procedure is performed.
What Does Nerve Pain Feel Like?
Nerve pain often feels different from ordinary muscle soreness or joint pain. Patients may describe:
- Burning
- Sharp or shooting pain
- Electric-shock sensations
- Tingling or pins & needles
- Numbness
- Increased sensitivity to touch
- Pain that follows a specific path
- Weakness in an arm or leg
These symptoms can suggest nerve involvement, but they do not establish the cause by themselves. Joint, muscle, vascular, and other neurological conditions can sometimes produce similar discomfort.
Nerve Pain, Neuropathy, and Sciatica Are Not Identical
These terms are related, but they describe different conditions or symptom patterns.
Nerve Pain
Nerve pain, also called neuropathic pain, refers to pain caused by a lesion, disease, irritation, or injury affecting the nervous system. It may involve one peripheral nerve, a spinal nerve root, or persistent pain signaling after injury or surgery.
Peripheral Neuropathy
Peripheral neuropathy refers to damage or dysfunction involving nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. It frequently affects the feet or hands and may be associated with diabetes, chemotherapy, nutritional problems, autoimmune disease, or other causes.
Sciatica
Pain caused by irritation or compression of a nerve root in the lower spine, typically traveling from the low back or buttock into one leg. A patient with sciatica has nerve pain, but not every nerve-pain patient has sciatica.
When Should You See a Nerve Pain Specialist?
Consider scheduling an evaluation when symptoms:
- Continue for several weeks or frequently return
- Interfere with sleep, work, driving, or exercise
- Cause persistent burning, shooting, or electric pain
- Travel into an arm or leg, or include numbness/tingling
- Affect strength, balance, or walking
- Began after surgery or an injury
- Follow the distribution of one particular nerve
- Haven’t improved with initial treatment
A pain-management evaluation does not automatically mean that a patient needs an injection. Its purpose is to confirm whether the symptoms are nerve-related and identify the likely nerve or nerve root involved.
Conditions That Can Cause Nerve Pain
Nerve pain can have many causes, and treatment depends on the underlying condition, affected nerve, and severity of symptoms.
Compressed Spinal Nerves
Herniated discs, spinal stenosis, and foraminal narrowing can irritate or compress nerves, causing pain, numbness, or weakness that travels into the arms or legs.
Peripheral Nerve Entrapment
A nerve compressed near muscles, joints, ligaments, or scar tissue, causing burning, tingling, numbness, or weakness.
Nerve Injury
Nerves stretched, bruised, or damaged following accidents, falls, or sports injuries; treatment depends on severity and cause.
Post-Surgical Nerve Pain
Persistent pain from irritation, nerve injury, scar tissue, or inflammation after surgery; selected patients may benefit from targeted nerve blocks.
Peripheral Neuropathy
Burning, tingling, numbness, or weakness, often in the hands or feet, managed by addressing the underlying cause alongside persistent pain.
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
May develop after an injury, surgery, or fracture, with burning pain, touch sensitivity, swelling, and stiffness; typically requires a comprehensive treatment plan.
How We Evaluate Nerve Pain
Our evaluation determines whether symptoms are nerve-related, which nerve or nerve root may be involved, and what treatment may be appropriate.
Review of Your Symptoms
We discuss where the pain started, whether it follows a specific pattern, and whether it feels burning, shooting, stabbing, or electric. We also evaluate numbness, tingling, sensitivity to touch, weakness, symptom triggers, and how pain affects sleep, movement, work, and daily activities.
Medical and Treatment History
We review previous injuries, spine or joint conditions, surgeries, medical conditions such as diabetes, medications, prior injections, chemotherapy or other treatments, nutritional concerns, autoimmune conditions, and changes in symptoms over time.
Physical and Neurological Examination
Our examination may assess sensation, strength, reflexes, balance, coordination, range of motion, nerve tenderness, pain distribution, and movements that reproduce symptoms.
Diagnostic Testing
Depending on your symptoms and suspected condition, testing may include MRI, CT scans, X-rays, electromyography (EMG), nerve-conduction studies, or other appropriate evaluations. Not every patient needs every type of test.
Diagnostic Nerve Blocks
A targeted nerve block may help determine whether a specific nerve is contributing to your pain. Temporary relief after numbing the suspected nerve can provide useful diagnostic information and may also provide short-term symptom relief.
Nerve Pain Treatment Options in Opelousas
Treatment depends on cause, location, severity, and effect on daily life, and may combine conservative care with minimally invasive procedures.
Epidural Steroid Injections
Deliver anti-inflammatory medication near irritated spinal nerves. May be considered for radiculopathy, sciatica, herniated discs, and spinal stenosis causing radiating arm or leg pain.
Selective Nerve Root Blocks
Target a specific spinal nerve near where it exits the spine to help identify the source of radiating pain and reduce inflammation around it.
Peripheral Nerve Blocks
Place medication around a nerve outside the brain and spinal cord. May help with localized nerve pain, nerve entrapment, or selected post-surgical pain.
Radiofrequency Ablation
Uses controlled heat to interrupt pain signals from selected sensory nerves once diagnostic blocks confirm the nerve involved.
Spinal Cord Stimulation
Uses an implanted device to modify pain signals for carefully selected patients whose neuropathic pain hasn't improved with less invasive treatment.
Iovera
Uses targeted cold therapy to temporarily stop a nerve from sending pain signals, offering relief that can last several months without opioids.
When Another Specialist May Be Needed
Pain management is not the right destination for every nerve condition. Referral may be appropriate for:
- Progressive muscle weakness
- A nerve that may require surgical decompression
- An unexplained or widespread neuropathy
- A neurological, autoimmune, or metabolic condition
- A tumor or mass affecting a nerve
- Severe spinal-cord compression or rapid loss of movement/sensation
Our role is to evaluate whether interventional pain care is suitable and coordinate further assessment when another specialty is a better fit.
Why the Correct Diagnosis Matters
Two patients can both describe burning or electric pain but need entirely different care — one a compressed cervical nerve, another sciatica from lumbar stenosis, another a nerve trapped in scar tissue, another CRPS following an injury.
Choosing a procedure only because pain feels “nerve-related” can target the wrong source. We weigh each patient’s symptom pattern, exam findings, prior treatment, and available testing before recommending a plan.
Why Choose Interventional Pain Specialists for Nerve Pain Treatment in Opelousas?
Experienced Pain Management:
Dr. Gros is board-certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology and American Board of Pain Medicine.
Targeted Treatment Options:
Image-guided procedures, including peripheral nerve blocks and selective nerve root blocks, for appropriately selected patients.
Personalized Treatment Planning:
Recommendations based on symptoms, history, exam findings, diagnostics, and functional goals.
Minimally Invasive Care:
When appropriate, we use minimally invasive approaches to address spine, nerve, and other chronic pain conditions.
Opelousas Location:
Evaluations at 3983 I-49 S. Service Road, Opelousas, LA. Some procedures may be performed at another location depending on the recommended treatment.
Meet Albert Gros, Jr., MD
Anesthesiology and Pain Management Specialist
Dr. Gros leads care at Interventional Pain Specialists. He earned his medical degree from LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans and completed his anesthesiology residency at Ochsner Clinic Foundation. His experience includes epidural steroid injections, nerve blocks, and spinal cord stimulation.
What to Bring to Your Appointment
Bring information that may help our team understand your symptoms and previous treatment:
- Photo identification and insurance card
- Current medication list
- Relevant medical records
- MRI, CT, or X-ray reports and imaging, if available
- Physical therapy records
- Details of previous injections or spine surgery
- Referral or authorization documents, if required
- Questions you’d like to discuss
Insurance Information
We accept most insurance providers, including:
Insurance coverage, referrals, prior authorization, deductibles, and out-of-pocket expenses vary by plan. Contact the Opelousas office and your insurance provider before treatment to confirm your benefits and any referral or authorization requirements.
Opelousas office: (337) 284-3200
When Nerve Symptoms Require Urgent Medical Attention
Sudden or rapidly progressing neurological symptoms need immediate medical evaluation, not a routine appointment. Seek emergency care for:
- Sudden numbness accompanied by weakness
- Sudden facial drooping
- Slurred speech or confusion
- Sudden vision changes
- New difficulty walking
- Rapidly worsening weakness
- New paralysis
- New loss of bladder or bowel control
- Numbness around the groin or saddle area
- Weakness in both legs
- New difficulty breathing or swallowing
- Severe symptoms following significant trauma
These symptoms may indicate a serious neurological or other medical emergency and should be evaluated immediately.
What Our Patients Say
Professional Associations And Memberships
Schedule a Nerve Pain Evaluation in Opelousas
Burning, shooting, tingling, or electric pain can interfere with sleep, movement, work, and everyday activities. Because nerve pain can have different causes, identifying the source is an important step in determining the appropriate treatment.
Contact Interventional Pain Specialists in Opelousas to discuss your symptoms and determine whether a nerve-pain evaluation is appropriate.
Interventional Pain Specialists – Opelousas
3983 I-49 S. Service Road
Opelousas, LA
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of doctor treats nerve pain?
The appropriate doctor depends on the cause. A pain-management specialist may evaluate nerve pain related to spinal nerve compression, injury, surgery, nerve entrapment, or persistent neuropathic pain. Patients with unexplained, widespread, or progressive neurological symptoms may also need evaluation by another specialist.
How can I tell whether my pain is nerve-related?
Nerve pain is often described as burning, shooting, electric, tingling, or unusually sensitive. It may follow a particular path and may be accompanied by numbness or weakness. Because these symptoms can overlap with other conditions, a clinical evaluation is needed to determine the likely cause.
Is nerve pain the same as neuropathy?
No. Nerve pain describes a symptom associated with irritation, injury, disease, or dysfunction of the nervous system. Neuropathy refers to a disorder affecting one or more nerves. A compressed spinal nerve can cause nerve pain without generalized peripheral neuropathy.
Can a pinched nerve cause burning or electric pain?
Yes. Irritation or compression of a spinal or peripheral nerve may cause burning, shooting, tingling, numbness, or weakness along the nerve’s pathway.
Do you treat peripheral nerve pain in Opelousas?
We evaluate selected patients with localized peripheral nerve pain and may offer peripheral nerve blocks when clinically appropriate. Contact the Opelousas office to discuss your symptoms and confirm where a recommended procedure is performed.
What is the difference between a peripheral nerve block and a nerve root block?
A peripheral nerve block targets a nerve outside the brain and spinal cord. A selective nerve root block targets a spinal nerve near where it exits the spine. Nerve root blocks may be considered for radiating arm or leg symptoms associated with conditions such as radiculopathy, disc problems, or spinal stenosis.
Can a nerve block permanently cure nerve pain?
A nerve block does not necessarily cure the underlying condition. Relief may be temporary, and the response to the procedure can provide useful diagnostic information to help guide future treatment.
Can you help with nerve pain after surgery?
We evaluate selected patients with persistent post-surgical nerve pain. Depending on the location and suspected cause, treatment may include a peripheral nerve block, another appropriate interventional procedure, rehabilitation, or spinal cord stimulation for carefully selected chronic conditions.
Can spinal cord stimulation help nerve pain?
Spinal cord stimulation may be considered for selected patients with persistent neuropathic pain that has not responded adequately to less invasive treatment. Patients generally undergo an evaluation and temporary trial before permanent implantation.
Do I need a referral?
Referral and prior-authorization requirements vary by insurance plan. Contact the Opelousas office or your insurance provider to determine whether a referral or prior authorization is required.
How do I schedule a nerve pain appointment in Opelousas?
Call (337) 284-3200 or complete the appointment request form through our website to schedule an evaluation.