Dr. Albert Lai

Pain has always been one of medicine’s most significant challenges. For generations, patients living with chronic pain relied on long-term medication or invasive surgery to find relief. Today, that approach is undergoing rapid change. Interventional pain medicine is transforming how doctors understand and treat pain. Rather than simply dulling the discomfort, this modern approach identifies its source and treats it directly. Using precision techniques and advanced imaging, specialists can now target pain at its source, offering results once unimaginable. From Masking Symptoms to Solving Problems Traditional pain management often focuses on controlling symptoms. While medications can provide short-term comfort, they do not always address the underlying cause. Interventional pain medicine changes that by using diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to locate and treat the pain generator itself. Through image-guided injections, nerve ablations, and other minimally invasive methods, docto...

Chronic pain affects millions of individuals worldwide and poses significant challenges to both patients and healthcare providers . Unlike acute pain, which often has an identifiable and treatable cause, chronic pain can persist for months or even years without a clear origin. Diagnosing the underlying source of chronic pain can be complex, as it often involves multiple systems, including nerves, muscles, and connective tissues. One of the most effective tools in unraveling these complexities is electrodiagnostic testing. By examining how nerves and muscles respond to electrical stimulation, physicians can gain valuable insights into the mechanisms driving persistent pain. Electrodiagnostics, which encompasses tests such as electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction studies (NCS), provides a means to evaluate the integrity and function of the neuromuscular system. This specialized testing plays a crucial role in distinguishing between various conditions that may cause chronic pain, su...

As the medical community continues to shift away from opioid-centric pain management, interventional pain treatments are gaining recognition for their precision and effectiveness. These minimally invasive procedures not only provide direct relief to the source of pain but also support reduced medication use and quicker recovery times. With advancements in imaging and neuromodulation technologies, patients experience improved outcomes and a greater return to normal function. Healthcare systems are increasingly adopting these methods as part of integrated care models, though access disparities and insurance limitations still pose challenges. Continued innovation and education are key to expanding the reach and impact of interventional pain management. 1. Understanding Interventional Pain Management Interventional pain management focuses on diagnosing and treating pain through targeted, minimally invasive procedures. These treatments are guided by imaging technologies and are designed to ...

Imagine waking up in the morning and before your feet even touch the floor, you feel it—the dull ache, the sharp sting, or the relentless throb that never truly leaves. For many people, this isn’t an occasional inconvenience but a constant part of life. Chronic pain is not simply about sore muscles or stiff joints; it’s an experience that reshapes how people move, think, and connect with the world. To truly understand it, we need to look past the surface and listen to the stories it tells. When Pain Refuses to Leave Normal pain has an expiration date. Twist an ankle, pull a muscle, or recover from surgery, and your body eventually heals. Chronic pain doesn’t play by those rules. By definition, it lasts longer than three months, often persisting long after the original injury or illness has resolved. In some cases, doctors can pinpoint a specific source, such as arthritis or nerve damage, but in others, the cause remains unknown. What’s most unsettling is that the pain can take on a li...