Meet Your Pain Doctor Serving Decatur, AR

Dr. Stephen A. Irwin is board-certified in anesthesiology and pain medicine. He completed fellowship training in pain medicine at UT Southwestern and has practiced interventional pain management since 2008.

If you’ve already had an MRI, an injection or surgery, Dr. Irwin can review those records alongside what you’re experiencing now. Knowing whether an earlier treatment helped for an afternoon, several weeks or longer can inform what he evaluates next. He’ll discuss what the exam and records suggest, what questions remain and what each treatment option would be intended to accomplish. Learn more about Dr. Stephen Irwin.

Chronic Pain Conditions We Evaluate

Lower Back Pain

When lower back pain makes it harder to lift, stand or get comfortable at night, note which positions change it. Tell Dr. Irwin whether the pain stays in your lower back, moves into your buttock or travels farther down your leg.

Neck Pain

Neck pain can make it difficult to turn your head while driving or stay comfortable at a desk. If you also have shoulder or arm pain, tingling or numbness, tell Dr. Irwin where you feel it and whether moving your neck changes those symptoms.

Sciatica and Radiating Leg Pain

Sciatica can cause pain that runs from the buttock down the leg. Some people also notice tingling or numbness. Dr. Irwin will ask how far your symptoms travel and whether sitting, standing or walking makes them better or worse.

Herniated Discs and Spinal Stenosis

A herniated disc or narrowing around the spinal nerves can contribute to back or leg symptoms. Dr. Irwin considers whether the findings on your imaging line up with your exam and what you feel day to day. If you have to stop walking because of leg pain and it settles when you sit, mention that during the visit.

Sacroiliac Joint Pain

Pain from the sacroiliac joint can be felt low in the back or around the buttock. Because symptoms can overlap with pain from the hip or lower spine, Dr. Irwin may check how you respond to certain movements during the exam before considering a targeted injection.

Joint and Muscle Pain

If pain comes on when you climb stairs, get out of a chair or reach overhead, describe the movement that triggers it and where you feel it. That information helps Dr. Irwin evaluate whether a joint, muscle or another structure may be involved.

Nerve Pain and Pain After Spine Surgery

Dr. Irwin evaluates persistent nerve pain, complex regional pain syndrome and pain that continues or returns after spine surgery. If you’ve had surgery, note whether your current symptoms feel like the pain you had before the operation or began in a different area afterward.

Explore the conditions we treat.

Interventional Pain Management Treatments

Dr. Irwin may recommend a targeted procedure to help identify a source of pain or manage symptoms. When he discusses a procedure, ask what it targets, what you should track afterward and when you’ll review your response together.

Epidural Steroid Injections

An epidural steroid injection delivers medication into the epidural space around the spinal nerves. Dr. Irwin may consider it for certain types of arm or leg pain when the examination and available imaging suggest spinal nerve irritation.

Facet Joint Injections and Medial Branch Blocks

Facet joints are small joints along the spine. If Dr. Irwin suspects they contribute to your neck or back pain, a facet joint injection or medial branch block may help evaluate that possibility. After a diagnostic block, he may ask you to note how you feel during a movement that usually brings on the pain.

Radiofrequency Ablation

Radiofrequency ablation uses controlled heat to interrupt pain signals carried by selected nerves. It may be an option when diagnostic blocks indicate those nerves are contributing to your pain.

Sacroiliac Joint Injections

A sacroiliac joint injection places medication into the joint. Your response can help Dr. Irwin determine whether the joint is contributing to your symptoms and guide the discussion about further care.

Nerve Blocks

A nerve block places medication near a selected nerve. Depending on the condition, it may be used to evaluate whether that nerve contributes to your symptoms or to help manage pain.

Spinal Cord Stimulation

Spinal cord stimulation may be considered for some patients with persistent nerve-related pain. For eligible patients, a temporary trial provides a way to assess how they respond before deciding whether to pursue a permanent device.

Trigger Point Injections

Trigger point injections may be considered for certain types of localized muscle pain. Dr. Irwin evaluates whether a tender area in the muscle is contributing to your symptoms before discussing an injection.

In-Office Procedures, Sedation and Payment Options

In-Office Care and Sedation

Many pain management procedures can be performed at our Rogers office. In-office sedation is available for most spinal procedures when appropriate. If you’re concerned about an injection or have had trouble with a prior procedure, tell Dr. Irwin during your consultation so he can discuss your options.

Insurance and Self-Pay

NWA Interventional Pain works with most insurance plans and offers self-pay options. An office-based procedure may cost less out of pocket than a procedure at a hospital or surgery center. Your costs depend on the procedure and your coverage. Call with your plan information to ask about network participation, referral requirements and authorization before scheduling.

When to See a Pain Doctor Near Decatur, AR

Consider an evaluation if pain keeps interrupting sleep, limits walking or makes it difficult to work despite the care you’ve already tried. It can also help to get evaluated when pain starts traveling into an arm or leg, or when symptoms return after an earlier treatment.

Choose one activity you’d like to do more comfortably and describe what happens when you try it. For example, if you can stand long enough to start dinner but have to sit down before finishing, that gives Dr. Irwin a specific limitation to discuss with you.