What Is Interventional or Pain Management Treatment in a Personal Injury Case?
After a car accident, not all injuries can be fully treated with rest, medication, or chiropractic care alone. When conservative treatment fails to provide sufficient relief, medical providers often recommend interventional or pain management treatments. These procedures are designed to manage ongoing pain, restore function, and prevent more invasive surgery.
Understanding what these treatments are and how they affect your personal injury case is critical, because the type, duration, and medical necessity of treatment can significantly impact the value of your claim.
1. What Is Interventional or Pain Management Treatment?
Interventional treatment refers to minimally invasive procedures performed by specialists to target pain directly at the source. Pain management treatment aims to reduce chronic or severe pain, improve mobility, and support overall recovery.
Common interventional treatments include:
Steroid injections – Help reduce inflammation in the spine, neck, or joints.
Nerve blocks – Temporarily block pain signals from specific nerves to relieve localized pain.
Radiofrequency ablation – Uses heat to disable nerves causing chronic pain.
Other minimally invasive procedures – Target joints, ligaments, or soft tissue injuries that haven’t responded to conservative care.
Example:
If chiropractic care and physical therapy do not fully alleviate neck or back pain from a car accident, a physician may recommend epidural steroid injections or a facet joint nerve block to reduce inflammation and relieve pressure on nerves.
2. Why Interventional Treatment Is Important for Personal Injury Cases
Insurance companies and courts place value on treatment that is:
Medically necessary – Shows that your injuries require more than minor or temporary care.
Evidence of serious injury – Demonstrates ongoing pain and functional limitations.
Documented progression of care – Indicates that conservative treatments were attempted but insufficient.
Example:
A patient who starts with chiropractic care, progresses to nerve blocks, and eventually requires minimally invasive procedures provides clear medical evidence that the injuries are significant. This can increase compensation for pain, suffering, and future medical costs.
3. How Interventional Treatment Differs from Conservative or Surgical Care
Understanding the treatment progression is important in personal injury claims:
Conservative treatment – Non-invasive care like chiropractic adjustments, physical therapy, medications, and rest.
Interventional treatment – Minimally invasive procedures for persistent pain, such as injections or nerve blocks.
Surgical treatment – Reserved as a last resort when both conservative and interventional methods fail.
Insurance adjusters and attorneys use this hierarchy to assess case severity and potential settlement value. Cases that require interventional treatment are generally worth more than cases with only conservative treatment because they demonstrate prolonged pain and higher medical costs.
4. Documenting Interventional Treatment for Your Case
To maximize the value of your personal injury claim, detailed documentation of interventional treatments is essential:
Treatment records – Include the dates of procedures, types of injections or blocks, and the results.
Symptom tracking – Record pain levels, limitations in daily activities, and any flare-ups or improvements.
Follow-up notes – Show whether the treatments were effective or if additional procedures were required.
Proper documentation proves that the treatments were necessary, ongoing, and directly related to the accident, which strengthens your case and can increase compensation for pain, suffering, and medical expenses.
5. Examples of How Interventional Treatment Affects Case Value
Example 1: A patient receives six weeks of physical therapy only. Insurance may view this as a minor injury, resulting in a lower settlement.
Example 2: A patient receives physical therapy plus several steroid injections and nerve blocks. This demonstrates persistent pain, likely increasing case value.
Example 3: A patient progresses through conservative treatment, interventional procedures, and eventually requires surgery. This shows a serious, long-term injury, significantly increasing the potential compensation.
6. Working With an Attorney
An experienced personal injury attorney can help ensure that:
Interventional treatments are properly documented.
Medical evidence is presented effectively to the insurance company.
Settlement or trial strategies account for all medical care, including conservative and interventional treatment.
Without an attorney, insurance companies may undervalue your case, offering a settlement that doesn’t reflect the full cost of treatment or pain suffered.
Conclusion
Interventional and pain management treatments are critical steps in managing serious injuries after a car accident. These procedures are used when conservative care fails and help demonstrate the severity and persistence of your injuries. Proper treatment, meticulous documentation, and legal guidance ensure that your personal injury claim reflects the full value of your damages, including medical expenses, pain and suffering, and future care needs.
