Reducing Pain, Supporting Nerve Healing, Decreasing Swelling and Restoring Healthy Nerve Function

Chronic pain can interfere with nearly every aspect of daily life, from physical movement and restful sleep to emotional well-being. For individuals experiencing persistent discomfort long after an injury has healed, the underlying problem may involve irritated or damaged nerves that continue sending pain signals.

Dr. Neal H. Pollack, D.O., F.A.A.N., F.A.A.D.E.P., of Milwaukee Pain Clinic offers perineural injection therapy (PIT), a minimally invasive treatment designed to address nerve-related pain and inflammation. Using small injections of a specially prepared dextrose solution, this approach aims to calm irritated nerves, reduce discomfort and support the body’s natural healing processes.

Addressing Pain at Its Source

Specialized nerve fibers located just beneath the skin can become irritated or injured, triggering a process known as neurogenic inflammation. These nerves may release inflammatory signaling molecules that contribute to persistent pain, stiffness, swelling, weakness and sensitivity to touch.

Perineural injection therapy involves administering a buffered dextrose solution into superficial tissues surrounding affected nerves. The treatment aims to reduce abnormal nerve irritation and inflammatory signaling, potentially improving mobility and restoring healthier nerve function.

According to Milwaukee Pain Clinic, this approach may help interrupt the cycle of nerve irritation and chronic pain. While further research is needed to establish its effects on nerve growth, the treatment has already been shown to support nerve recovery and regeneration.

A Personalized Approach to Chronic Pain

Perineural injection therapy benefits individuals experiencing neuropathic pain, which results from injury or disease affecting the nervous system.

Milwaukee Pain Clinic uses PIT for a variety of conditions, including whiplash, neck and shoulder pain, back pain, persistent sports injuries, nerve entrapment syndromes, neuralgia and postsurgical pain. The clinic also offers treatment for migraines, fibromyalgia and complex regional pain syndrome.

Because chronic pain can arise from multiple causes, identifying the underlying contributors helps determine whether PIT is an appropriate treatment option.

What to Expect During Treatment

Dr. Pollack begins with a diagnostic injection to evaluate whether a patient’s pain responds to the dextrose solution. A substantial reduction in discomfort may indicate that additional treatments could be beneficial.

During each session, a tiny needle delivers the solution into superficial tissues near the affected nerves. Patients may experience temporary discomfort, although injections often become more comfortable as treatment progresses.

According to Milwaukee Pain Clinic, patients typically undergo four to eight treatments, depending on the duration and extent of their pain. Symptoms may fluctuate throughout the process, with gradual improvements in pain intensity, mobility and the frequency of pain-free days.

While individual results may vary, the clinic reports approximately 80 percent long-term pain resolution among patients that respond positively to the initial injection and continue treatment.

Supporting Natural Healing

Unlike conventional steroid injections, which often lose effectiveness the more frequently they are used, PIT uses dextrose, a form of glucose, to target irritated nerves. The goal is to reduce localized inflammation and swelling, or edema, while supporting healthier nerve signaling and function.

Although generally minimally invasive, PIT carries potential risks, including temporary soreness, bruising and rarely infection. Research into its long-term effectiveness and nerve-regenerative potential remains limited.

For individuals seeking an integrative approach to chronic pain, perineural injection therapy may offer another avenue toward greater comfort, mobility and quality of life.

Milwaukee Pain Clinic, Neurology & Pain Treatment Center, provides personalized treatment plans tailored to individual needs. For more information or to schedule a consultation with Dr. Pollack, call 414-453-7780 or visit MilwaukeePainClinic.com. They are located at 2600 N. Mayfair Rd., Ste. 1120, Milwaukee.