FAST Procedure

Many activities can lead to soft-tissue damage of muscles, ligaments, and tendons. This can result in pain, swelling, bruising, and damage. Athletes and non-athletes can both experience this form of pain, which can not only cause painful movements but can also limit range of motion and impede activity level. The California Pain Consultants team in the Escondido, El Centro, La Mesa, San Diego, Chula Vista areas is proud to offer their family of patients the new and highly effective FAST Procedure as a minimally-invasive and safe treatment method. 

What is Tendon Pain? 

A tendon is a strong and flexible band of tissue that connects muscle to the bones in the joint, which enables the joint to move properly. This allows patients to walk, run, jump, left, throw, bend, etc. Healthy tendons allow for this movement to be done pain free and with complete range of motion. However, when tendons are damaged, it can be very painful to move and perform even the simplest of tasks. Requiring a greater level of treatment than just rest and ice, chronic tendon disease is most often caused by repetitive motions creating micro tears or tiny breaks in the tendon tissue. 

The two most common causes of tendon pain are from: 

1. Trauma or damage to the tendon from an acute episode.
2. Repetitive motion from overuse.

Regardless of how it happened, either of these events can cause tissue to break down, which eventually forms a scar, also known as scar tissue, which leads to pain. 

Examples of this particular type of pain can also be called: 

• Tennis elbow
• Plantar fasciitis
• Golfer’s elbow
• Swimmer’s shoulder
• Jumper’s knee
• Achilles tendonitis

In addition to the damaged scar tissue limiting a person’s ability to move the joint and enjoy activities, the pain in the joint will likely worsen over time if not treated. 

Conventional treatment methods for pain relief include: 

• Rest: this helps but could take up to a year for significant recovery.
• Medication: anti-inflammatory drugs and/or cortisone injections help to manage the pain and swelling, but do little t address the cause of pain, so it will eventually return.
• Physical therapy: most often used with rest and medication, physical therapy helps to restore function and range of motion to the affected joint
• Surgery: while surgical methods are beneficial from removing scar tissue, it has the potential for side effects and damage to surrounding muscle and tissue, as well as a lengthy recovery period with limited activity.

This is where the FAST Procedure proves useful, as the treatment yields better results than conventional methods but with less risks and side effects than surgical options. 

What is the FAST Procedure?

The FAST Procedure stands for focused aspiration of soft tissue, which is a gentle method of using ultrasonic energy for treating chronic tendon disease by removing damaged tendon scar tissue and helping to restore natural tendon and soft tissue function. It is a minimally-invasive procedure that is designed to alleviate a patient’s pain by removing scarred and damaged tissue. One of the great benefits of the FAST Procedure is that it achieves the same goal as surgical methods but without the need for sedation and long recovery times. 

Prior to the procedure, your specialist will provide a comprehensive evaluation, which would involve a physical exam, a medical history review, and, most importantly, an imaging of the joint, which is done via X-rays, CT scan, or MRI, which helps to determine the location and extent of the degenerated tissue. If your pain management specialist deems the FAST Procedure is the best option for you, they will schedule an appointment for you in their office, which is an outpatient setting. The entire procedure is performed using only a local anesthetic to numb the area, meaning you will be awake and aware the entire time. 

During the procedure, your specialist will use ultrasound imaging to precisely identify and target the damaged or diseased scar tissue. After using a local anesthetic to numb the area, the provider will cut a tiny opening and insert a small needle, roughly the size of a toothpick, into the scar tissue. This needle delivers ultrasonic energy that is specifically designed to break down and remove the damaged and diseased tissue safely and quickly, without disturbing the surrounding healthy tendon tissue. After the scar tissue is removed, the tiny opening is closed using only a Band-Aid®. 

The entire procedure takes less than 30 minutes. Due to the fact that the procedure is minimally invasive, patients are allowed to return home the same day and can take over-the-counter pain medication if needed. Patients are advised to limit weight-bearing exercises and activity for two weeks after surgery, but there should be no requirement for physical therapy or prolonged medication use because pain relief should be immediate. Most patients are able to enjoy their complete range of normal activities within one to two months. 

Who is a Candidate for the FAST Procedure? 

The best way to determine if you’re a candidate for the FAST Procedure is to partner with a pain management specialist who is expertly trained in this technique. The ideal candidate for this procedure is a patient who: 

• Has chronic pain and has been diagnosed with tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis, golfer’s elbow, swimmer’s shoulder, jumper’s knee, or achilles tendonitis
• Has experience pain for at least three months
• Has already tried rest, ice, medications and/or steroid shots, but has not felt pain relief.

What are the Benefits and Risks of the FAST Procedure?

The benefits of the FAST Procedure include quick pain relief that can last for years or even permanently. This is also a favorable treatment method for patients who wish to avoid surgery and relying on medication for pain relief. Recovery time is only a few weeks and due to the fact that the procedure doesn’t affect any other parts of the body, there is a low chance of any other problems associated with the procedure. 

The procedure is also considered very safe and with low risks, which could include infection, mild bleeding, short-term pain, redness and swelling at the treatment area. There is also a very low chance of nerve damage. 

If you are suffering from chronic tendon pain and are tired of missing out on your favorite activities, please reach out to the California Pain Consultants team in the Escondido, El Centro, La Mesa, San Diego, Chula Vista areas so that we may diagnose and treat your tendon pain and help you enjoy your intended quality of life.