In addition to Algology, many medical branches such as Orthopedics and Traumatology, Spine Surgery, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Rheumatology are also involved in pain management and the treatment of patients with pain. 

The main difference of the Group Florence Nightingale Hospitals Algology Department from these branches is that it only deals with patients with pain, especially the long-term pain called chronic pain and that it provides the treatment of chronic pain in cooperation with other medical branches.

- Nerve Blocks: The nerves that go to the area where the cancerous tissue is pressing are deactivated and pain treatment is applied.

- Permanent Catheter and Port Applications: Cancer that does not respond to other treatment methods In case of pain, catheters and ports are placed in the spinal cord or in the relevant area. Pain treatment with these systems is more successful.

- Pain Caused by Veins: In those who smoke excessively or have diabetes, insufficiency may occur in the veins leading to the arms and legs, after heavy traffic accidents. In case like that, the nerves leading to the arms and legs, called sympathetic nerves, are disabled under imaging.

- Spinal Cord Batteries: In patients who have had lumbar hernia surgery many times, in patients who have had  paralysis as a result of a spinal cord injury and the pain still continues, where severe pain is caused by the veins or with pain that we call neuropathy due to nerve damage, the stimuli coming from the painful area can reach the brain from the spinal cord level,  pacemaker-like batteries are inserted inside the spine to prevent the pain.

- Spinal Cord Pumps: Pumps can be placed at the level of the spinal cord in non-cancer patients with cancer to ensure that morphine and similar drugs can be administered ten to a hundred times more powerfully than the oral dose, without causing addiction. Spinal cord pumps are only placed to patients who do not benefit from medication and other treatment methods.

- Neuralgias: Severe pain in the face, such as when washing the face, shaving or eating, is called neuralgia. In such cases, in patients who do not respond to medication therapy, radiofrequency methods, a treatment that involves sending waves similar to radio waves is applied.

- Severe Headaches: again, in cluster type headaches that do not respond to drug treatments the pain is tried to be controlled by blocking the nerves and radiofrequency methods are  applied with ultrasound and fluoroscopy.

-Headache caused by Neck :  various treatment methods are applied and advanced imaging methods aimed at finding the cause of the pain is used to treat headaches caused by the neck joints.

In our Algology Unit;

· Determining the cause of pain,
· Treatment of pain,
· Post-treatment information for the patient,
· Long-term monitoring of the patient, 
· Directing the patient to the right doctor, 
· Public training on pain management is provided.  

· Waist and leg pains, lumbar hernia and pain related to other reasons,

· Neck and arm pains, neck hernia and pain related to other reasons, shoulder and arm pain,

· Headaches: Migraine, tension headaches and others,

· Facial Pain: Neuralgias,

· Pain caused by the musculoskeletal system: Myofascial pain,

· Neuropathic Pain: Pain caused by damage in certain parts of the nervous system,

· Post-operative and persistent pain,

· Cancer pains,

· Pain of unknown cause

· Pain of unknown cause

At the Algology Unit, various drug and non-drug methods are used for the treatment of chronic pain.  If necessary, ideas are exchanged with other branches of medicine regarding the pain. "Interventional Methods" are used in pain that cannot be treated with medication or similar methods.

Interventional Methods are methods that have developed significantly in the last 20 years and do not require surgery, and are applied to eliminate the source of pain in patient and to treat the pain. The aim of Interventional Methods is to eliminate the cause of pain with minimal damage to the patient's body. Interventional Methods in pain control are only applied by physicians trained in the Algology Department.  

- Cervical and Lumbar Epidural Injections: This is based on the application of medicines called steroids, local anesthesia and, if necessary drugs called enzymes, these are applied to the disc areas that puts pressure on the waist and neck hernia that do not require surgical intervention. At the same time, attempts are made to reduce the hernia. It is suitable for patients with no loss of sensation and strength in their arms and legs and for whom pain is at the forefront.

- Interventions Against Pain Caused by Facet Joints: The vertebrae sit on top each other and form a joint. These joints have their own nerves. During excessive pressure on the neck and waist, there is damage to the joints, and as a result pain mixed with waist and neck hernias occurs. Various interventional methods are applied to the nerves of the facet joints in the treatment of this type of pain.  

- Interventions Applied After Unsuccessful Lumbar Surgery: In some patients, adhesions occur in the operation area after lumbar surgery, and these patients experience persistent and severe pains that are different from the lumbar hernia. In this case, "Epidural Neuroplasty" is applied to resolve the adhesions. In other words, thin catheters are sent to the adhesion area and medications such as serum physiological steroids and hyalurinidase are given to the area with high intensity to get rid of  the adhesions.  

- Ozone Applications: This is a safe drug due to its anti-inflammatory and bactericidal effects and is used in the treatments of different types of pains, especially in hernia applications.  

The Algology Department of Group Florence Nightingale Hospitals provides solutions to pains that are not related to a specific disease or tissue damage, but cannot be cured or treated by other branches, by using all current diagnostic methods. It also undertakes the treatment of patients whose problem is pain itself, as well as pain caused by other diseases.

It is not possible to treat patients with pain, most of who have been diagnosed with chronic pain, with simple pain treatment methods. In such cases, interventional pain treatment methods are successfully applied by our department. In the Algology Department of Florence Nightingale Hospitals, the Group successfully applies appropriate personal pain treatment methods for effective treatment of pain before the pain  becomes chronic.

Today, with interventional pain treatment methods, pain can be relieved during the process from  perception of pain to its managing and treatment. In particular, with radiowaves and ozone applications, lumbar hernia pains, headache and neck pains, postoperative pains and cancer pains can be treated.

Post-operative pain can be treated by applying small doses of painkillers from the lumbar region where the nerves are located. In addition, it is possible to treat the pain by neutralizing the nerve that carries the pain to the center where the pain is felt. Pain caused by lumbar hernia and disorders in the spinal system, causes pain by creating pressure and inflammation on the nerves in the neck or back. Inflammatory medicines are applied to the nerve area by special imaging systems. There are also attempts to reduce the volume of the discs between the spinal bones. The same methods can be applied for cancer and non-cancer related pain.