There are many types of treatments for chronic pain. One approach involves interventional medicine, which may include nerve blocks, steroid injections, spinal cord stimulators, ablation, and more. In this ongoing series, PPM explores each type of therapy, including how it works (eg, how invasive it is, how long the pain relief may last), what type of doctor performs the treatment, how much it costs, and which pain conditions it may benefit. Of course, with any treatment plan, discuss with your doctor whether you may benefit from one or more of these therapies. See also our Alternative Treatment section for non-medication options in pain management and our new home-care device guide.