Dr. Gurpreet Singh Padda
M.D, M.B.A, M.H.P
St. Louis Pain Treatment and
Management Center
Get a plan for long-term pain management and bring change to your life!
Board-Certified Doctors
Expert medical professionals
Proven Treatments
Evidence-based approach
Same-Day & Emergency Visits
Urgent appointments available
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Pain Conditions We Treat
At Padda Institute, our pain management specialists & pain specialist doctors provide you the guidance and treatments tailored to your needs. We are best at what we do; we diagnose and evaluate to determine your best treatment plan, so that you can experience chronic pain relief like never before.
Anxiety, PTSD and Chronic Pain
Many of our patient’s have suffered significant trauma, either psychological or physical, which maintains a chronic high level of anxiety, and..
Diabetes And Neuropathy
Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (DPN) is the most common complication of diabetes, and often presents as a distal, symmetric..
Cluster Headache Treatment
Cluster Headache is a very severe form of primary headache disorder with a population, one-year prevalence of about 0.1 %. Classified as..
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
“Of all the chronic neuropathic pain syndromes, none has perplexed patient, clinician, and scientist more than the complex regional pain..
Discogram
The disks are soft, cushion-like pads which separate the hard vertebral bones of your spine. A disk may be painful when it bulges, herniates..
Facet Joint Radiofrequency (Rf)
A patient with primary facet pain, proven with either one or more blocks, may be a candidate for a facet rhizotomy using radiofrequency (RF)..
Facet Joint Injection
The spine is designed to bend and turn. Along with the intervertebral discs, facet joints (also referred to as Z joints or zygapophyseal joints)..
Pain Management Doctors in St. Louis
Padda Institute is a physician-owned interventional pain practice on Woodson Road in St. Louis, with a second office in Bridgeton. Dr. Gurpreet Singh Padda, MD, MBA, MHP is a diplomate of the American Board of Anesthesiology and the American Board of Interventional Pain Physicians. The procedures below are performed on site, on an outpatient basis, with image guidance where the technique requires it.
Ultrasound-Guided and Fluoroscopic Procedures
Padda Institute performs procedures under both ultrasound and fluoroscopic guidance. Ultrasound allows a joint, muscle, ligament or tendon to be assessed dynamically, while it moves, giving an immediate diagnostic answer in the room. Fluoroscopy provides live X-ray confirmation of needle position for spinal work. The imaging method is chosen to match the target.
Epidural Steroid Injection
An epidural steroid injection places anti-inflammatory medication into the epidural space surrounding an irritated spinal nerve root. At Padda Institute the injection is performed under live fluoroscopic guidance, so needle position is confirmed before any medication is delivered. It is most commonly used for lower back and leg pain that radiates from the spine.
Facet Joint Injection
The facet joints are small paired joints running down the back of the spine. When arthritis or inflammation affects them they can refer pain into the neck, mid-back or lower back. The injection delivers medication into the joint under image guidance and confirms whether that joint is the true source of pain.
Sacroiliac (SI) Joint Injection
The sacroiliac joints connect the base of the spine to the pelvis and are a frequently missed source of lower back and buttock pain. An SI joint injection delivers anti-inflammatory medication into the joint under fluoroscopic guidance. It both relieves pain and confirms the joint as the source before further treatment is planned.
Trigger Point Injections
A trigger point is a tight, irritable band within a muscle that produces local pain and often refers pain elsewhere. A trigger point injection places local anesthetic directly into that band to interrupt the cycle of spasm and pain. It is commonly used in the neck and shoulders and in the lower back.
Celiac Plexus Block
The celiac plexus is a bundle of nerves in the upper abdomen carrying pain signals from the pancreas, liver and intestines. A celiac plexus block places local anesthetic, sometimes with a neurolytic agent, around those nerves under image guidance. It is most often used for pain related to chronic pancreatitis or abdominal malignancy.
Sphenopalatine Ganglion Block
The sphenopalatine ganglion is a small cluster of nerve cells behind the nose that carries sensation from the face, sinuses and parts of the head. An SPG block delivers local anesthetic to that ganglion to interrupt those signals. It is used for cluster headache, migraine and facial pain.
Nerve Blocks
A nerve block interrupts pain signals travelling along a specific nerve or group of nerves by placing local anesthetic, sometimes with a steroid, directly around it. Blocks are both diagnostic and therapeutic. Padda Institute performs selective nerve root blocks, stellate ganglion blocks and lumbar sympathetic blocks.
Facet Joint Radiofrequency Ablation
Radiofrequency ablation applies controlled heat to the medial branch nerves that carry pain signals away from an arthritic facet joint. It is generally offered after diagnostic facet injections have identified the responsible level. Because the treatment targets the nerve rather than the joint, it is intended to provide longer-lasting relief than injection alone.
Spinal Cord Stimulation
Spinal cord stimulation treats chronic nerve pain in the back, arms or legs using a small implanted device that delivers mild electrical impulses to the spinal cord, interrupting pain signals before they reach the brain. Patients complete a temporary trial first. It is one option considered for complex regional pain syndrome.
Peripheral Nerve Stimulation
Peripheral nerve stimulation targets a single damaged or irritated nerve outside the spinal cord. A fine lead is positioned near the nerve and delivers electrical impulses that modulate the pain signal it carries. The responsible nerve is typically identified first through electrodiagnostic testing.
Hydrodissection
Hydrodissection uses a fluid injection, guided by ultrasound, to separate a compressed peripheral nerve from the scar tissue or fascia entrapping it. Freeing the nerve relieves mechanical pressure without open surgery. It is used for peripheral nerve impingement once electrodiagnostic testing or examination has localized the point of entrapment.
Epiduroplasty (Epidural Lysis of Adhesions)
After spine surgery, scar tissue can form in the epidural space and tether nerve roots, a condition known as peridural fibrosis. Epiduroplasty uses a catheter placed under fluoroscopic guidance to break down those adhesions and deliver medication directly to the affected nerve. It is most often considered in failed back surgery syndrome, where standard epidural injections have stopped working.
Kyphoplasty
Kyphoplasty treats painful vertebral compression fractures, most often caused by osteoporosis. A balloon restores height within the collapsed vertebral body before bone cement is placed to stabilize it. It is a minimally invasive alternative to open surgery and is closely related to vertebroplasty.
Discogram (Provocative Discography)
A discogram is a diagnostic study rather than a treatment. Contrast is introduced into one or more spinal discs under fluoroscopy to determine which disc, if any, reproduces a patient’s usual pain. It is used when MRI and other imaging have not identified a clear source of back pain.
Same-Day and Emergency Appointments
Acute pain does not wait for the next available opening. Padda Institute holds same-day appointments for urgent pain problems, and our team can usually see you within 24 hours. Call or text and we will find you a slot today.
Padda Institute: Interventional Pain Management Center
Padda Institute is a nationally recognized center of excellence for treating and managing complex chronic pain. The Center provides comprehensive multidisciplinary inpatient & outpatient treatment options tailored to individual patient needs. We feel that the whole person must be treated, not just the pain & we work as a team to help you reduce or eliminate your pain.
Rated One Of The Best Pain Treatment Centers
In The Greater St. Louis Area
Dr. Gurpreet Singh Padda, MD
Dr. Gurpreet Padda is a highly respected medical specialist with extensive expertise in a variety of fields. His specialities include Pain Medicine, Interventional Pain Medicine, Anesthesiology, Addiction Medicine, Legal Medicine, and Nutrition Counseling. Dr. Padda is well-versed in diagnosing and treating pain conditions. He is board-certified in pain medicine, anesthesiology, and age management, showcasing his commitment to excellence in patient care.
Accreditations & Affiliations
Frequently
Asked Questions
Possibly not. People who have experienced chronic pain can live normal lives with the right care. Our approach to treatment incorporates traditional medical care as well as alternative care. We believe that an individualized patient centered approach is best.
This situation arises when you have a drug tolerance. This physiological reaction takes place when a substance’s initial dose slowly loses its effectiveness. It is usually resolved by adjusting the dosage or the drug or by reducing the pain generators. One does not necessarily get addicted to a drug by developing tolerance to it. Our entire program is designed to reduce the underlying metabolic inflammation which results in the pain itself, and thereby reduces the need for pain medications. Most of our patients are able to reduce their medications and actually have less overall pain and improved function.
Do not delay taking pain medicine until it becomes severe. Moderate pain is more easily managed than severe pain. However, if you take pain medication and you have mild or no symptoms you will develop a significant increased tolerance to the medication. You will retrain your nerves to become more dependent on the prescribed medications rather than the endorphins your own body produces.
Pain that lasts for more than 3 months is called chronic pain. Managing and treating chronic pain is a consistent process that often requires changes in lifestyle, behavior, coaching, medications, and procedures. Although there are no guarantees in eliminating all of the symptoms, one can make certain lifestyle changes to minimize it.
The first step in reducing or eliminating pain is to locate a pain management physician who can understand your discomfort. While doing your research, keep an open mind about the reality of pain management treatments. Your pain management doctor’s expertise will assist in outlining a course of treatment. One of the critical elements in finding the right pain management doctor is their attention to all of the factors that may be affecting your health, which includes an understanding of factors causing metabolic inflammation such as diet, activity, sleep, work, rest, environmental exposures, and genetic history to name just a few. The intake history should be extensive because no two patients are identical and therefore no two patients’ will have the exact same treatment. Keep in mind that at least 40-50% of treating pain involves patient lifestyle coaching, it’s not just about taking a pill or getting an injection.
Opioids and other painkillers have been shown to have adverse effects. These side effects can be severe. Even the side effects of over-the-counter medications can be life threatening. A frank conversation with your team is an absolute necessity.
Pain treatment should be individualized to the specific patient, and may include medications, procedures, therapy, lifestyle modification, and coaching. Our philosophy is to encourage the patient to make systemic changes to improve the likelihood of success. We do not believe that opioid pain medication alone has many benefits long term due to the rapid tolerance that occurs.