We are a North York pain clinic. Our specialty is precise ultrasound- and X-ray-guided injections that calm the source of your pain — most of them covered by OHIP. If you have been hurting for months or years, you are in the right place.
Show me treatments for where I hurt See what OHIP covers
Family-doctor referral required · OHIP-covered procedures
Click on the part of your body that hurts. We will show you the treatments we offer for that area, all done in our clinic by a fellowship-trained pain specialist.
Body diagram — choose the part that hurts to see your treatment options.
A drawing of the body with 8 areas you can select: head and face, neck, shoulder, upper or mid back, lower back, hip, knee, foot and ankle. Use the toggle above the figure to switch between front and back views.
Tap an area to see your options →
You told us: Lower Back · more than 6 months · sharp / shooting.
First a small numbing injection to confirm the joint nerves are the source. If you respond well, we follow up with radiofrequency ablation — relief typically lasts 6 to 12 months.
Why this matches: Long-standing spinal pain that has not settled matches the diagnostic-then-RFA pathway we use to find and quiet the joint nerves carrying the signal.
When pain shoots from the spine into a limb, a fluoroscopy-guided injection settles the inflamed nerve where it leaves the spinal canal.
Why this matches: Sharp pain that radiates from the spine matches what we treat with an epidural steroid injection.
A small, careful injection at the base of the skull to quiet the nerve that is feeding the headache.
A small dose of local anaesthetic into the tight muscle knots in your neck and upper shoulders to release them.
When neck pain runs down your arm, this image-guided injection calms the inflamed nerve where it leaves the spine.
A precise injection into the small joints at the back of your neck. We use it both to find where the pain is coming from and to relieve it.
Using ultrasound to see exactly where to go, we place a steroid injection in the small space above the rotator cuff to settle the inflammation.
We block the suprascapular nerve, which carries much of the pain from the back of the shoulder and the joint capsule.
Under ultrasound, a steroid injection at the bony point on the outside of your elbow to calm the inflamed tendon attachment.
A precise injection on the inside of your elbow for stubborn tendon pain that has not settled with rest.
A regenerative injection that uses the healing factors from your own blood. We typically offer this when steroid injections have stopped giving you relief.
Under ultrasound, a small steroid injection into the carpal tunnel to take pressure off the median nerve in your wrist.
A steroid injection into the tendon sheath at the base of the finger. For most people, one injection is enough to stop the locking.
A targeted injection into the irritated tendon compartment on the thumb side of your wrist.
An image-guided injection into the small joint at the base of your thumb — the joint that often hurts when you pinch or grip.
A steroid injection in the mid-back to settle inflamed nerves that wrap around the chest or rib cage.
A precise injection into the small joints of your mid-spine. It helps us pinpoint the source and provides relief at the same time.
Local anaesthetic into the tight muscle knots between your shoulder blades and across the upper back to release them.
When low-back pain shoots down your leg — sciatica — this 15-minute injection calms the inflamed nerve where it leaves the spine. Most people feel relief lasting 4 to 12 weeks.
A small, precise injection into the joints between your vertebrae. We use it both to find where the pain is coming from and to relieve it.
Using a fine probe, we gently warm the specific nerve carrying the pain signal. When that nerve quiets down, relief typically lasts 6 to 12 months.
Using ultrasound or X-ray to guide the needle, we place a steroid injection directly into the hip joint to ease arthritis pain.
An image-guided injection into the SI joint, where the spine meets the pelvis. It both confirms the joint is the source and provides relief.
A regenerative injection that uses the healing factors concentrated from your own blood to support the joint.
We block the small genicular nerves around the knee to see how much of your pain comes from them. This is the test step before a longer-lasting radiofrequency treatment.
Under ultrasound, an injection of either cortisone or a lubricating gel (hyaluronic acid) directly into the knee joint.
A regenerative injection prepared from a small sample of your own blood, concentrated and placed where the joint needs help.
Under ultrasound, a precise injection into the plantar fascia of your heel — for the stabbing first-step pain that has not settled with stretches and rest.
A targeted injection at the tarsal tunnel on the inside of your ankle to ease pressure on the nerve that goes into your foot.
11+
years caring for Toronto patients in North York
Image-guided
every injection placed under live ultrasound or X-ray — no guesswork
OHIP
covers most procedures when you have a referral from your family doctor
PHIPA
your health records stay private, by Ontario law
Specialist clinics in Ontario need a referral from your family doctor or another physician. They can fax it or send it electronically — either is fine.
Once your referral arrives, our intake team will call you to set up a time. First visits usually happen within 2 to 4 weeks.
Your OHIP card, recent imaging reports, a list of medications you are taking, and any notes from previous pain treatment. Please come 15 minutes early so we can finish the paperwork.
We are still moving the treatment pages over. They will be back shortly.
Real questions from real referrals — answered plainly, with no medical jargon, so you can plan your visit with confidence.
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.
Still wondering about something? Ask us directly — we usually reply within one business day.
416-398-1516
thepainclinictoronto@gmail.com
Monday – Friday: 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Closed weekends and statutory holidays
Across our staff. Tell us when you book if you need a specific language.
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Near the Dufferin & Finch West intersection. Steps from TTC stops on Finch Avenue West. Free patient parking on-site.
Driving from the 401: Take Exit 366 to Allen Road north. Allen Road ends at Sheppard — continue north on Dufferin Street, then turn left onto Champagne Drive. The clinic is in Champagne Centre on the right.
Driving from the 400: Exit at Finch Avenue West and head east. Turn right onto Dufferin Street, then right onto Champagne Drive.
By TTC: Take the 36 Finch West bus to the Dufferin & Finch West stop and walk south on Dufferin to Champagne Drive (about 4 minutes).
Parking: Free on-site parking for patients in the Champagne Centre lot. Wheelchair-accessible spots are next to the main entrance.
Accessibility: The building, our clinic, and our washrooms are all wheelchair accessible. Let us know in advance if you need extra time or assistance.
In a medical emergency, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency department. Our clinic does not handle urgent or emergency care.
