Lasting relief from chronic pain — without surgery.

Most of the procedures we perform — including epidural steroid injections, facet joint injections, medial branch blocks, and nerve root blocks — are covered by OHIP under the procedure code for image-guided injections. The steroid medication itself (e.g., Depo-Medrol or Kenalog) is not OHIP-covered; you pay the pharmacy directly, typically $20–$60 depending on the product. We provide a receipt you can submit to private insurance for reimbursement.

Yes. Like all specialist consultations in Ontario, you need a written referral from your family physician or another specialist before we can book your first consult. If you do not have a family doctor, walk-in clinics can also issue referrals after assessing you. Once you are an established patient, follow-up appointments do not require a new referral.

Image guidance means we use real-time ultrasound or fluoroscopy (live X-ray) to see exactly where the needle is going. This makes the injection more accurate and safer than a blind injection — we can confirm the medication reaches the nerve, joint, or tissue that is generating your pain, and avoid critical structures like blood vessels and the spinal cord. Most interventional pain procedures we perform use one of these two imaging modalities.

Wait times vary with referral volume, but most new patients are seen within 3 to 6 weeks of their referral being received. Urgent referrals (e.g., cancer pain, severe radiculopathy) are triaged and seen sooner. You can check the current wait estimate on our homepage banner.

Most patients describe the discomfort as similar to a blood draw or vaccination — a brief sting from the local anaesthetic, followed by pressure during the procedure. We use a fine-gauge needle and numb the skin before the injection. The procedure itself typically takes 5 to 15 minutes. Some procedures (e.g., radiofrequency ablation) are longer and may involve mild sedation.

It depends on the procedure and the underlying condition. Steroid injections typically provide relief lasting weeks to several months. Radiofrequency ablation can provide 6 to 18 months of relief. Diagnostic blocks are usually short-lived (hours) and are used to confirm the source of pain before a longer-acting treatment. We will give you a realistic expectation at your consultation based on your specific diagnosis.

We treat chronic musculoskeletal and nerve-related pain, including: lower back pain, sciatica, herniated discs, spinal stenosis, neck pain, facet joint arthritis, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, shoulder bursitis and rotator cuff pain, hip osteoarthritis, knee osteoarthritis, plantar fasciitis, post-surgical pain, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), trigeminal neuralgia, and occipital neuralgia. If your pain has persisted longer than 3 months despite physiotherapy or medication, you are likely a candidate for assessment.

For most spinal injections (epidurals, facet blocks) we recommend that someone drive you home, particularly if it is your first procedure or if the injection is in your cervical spine. For peripheral joint injections (knee, shoulder, hip) without sedation, you can usually drive yourself. We will confirm with you at booking.