What is the principle behind TAME (Transcatheter Arterial Microembolization)? Why is chronic pain related to abnormal blood vessels?

You have tried anti-inflammatory drugs, rehabilitation, shockwave therapy, pain patches, and local injections, yet the pain remains recurrent. Many people ask: what exactly hasn't been addressed? Starting from the mechanism, this article explains why chronic pain is associated with abnormally proliferating microvessels, and how TAME (Transcatheter Arterial Micro-Embolization) works to address this link.

Why Won't Chronic Pain Heal?

Because the source of pain may be more than just inflammation. Clinically, pain that persists for more than three months with a pain level of 5 or higher on the VAS pain scale is referred to as chronic pain. After muscles, tendons, and joints are injured, repeatedly strained, or degenerated, in addition to local inflammatory responses, abnormally proliferating microvessels may also grow in the area. These blood vessels, accompanied by exposed nerve endings, will continuously release "I am injured" signals.

Conservative treatments like anti-inflammatory drugs and pain patches address the inflammatory response; rehabilitation addresses mobility and muscle strength. However, for the abnormal vascular and neurological structures that have already formed, these methods can hardly act directly on them. This is one of the reasons why some chronic pain recurs repeatedly and why the effects of treatments become increasingly limited.

What Is the Principle of TAME?

TAME (Transcatheter Arterial Micro-Embolization) is a minimally invasive interventional treatment administered through arterial injection. The principle is to deliver embolized particles to the abnormally proliferating microvessels to make them shrink, aiming to reduce the source of pain signals and alleviate the persistent local inflammatory state.

We can imagine it like this: abnormal blood vessels and nerve endings are like a source that continuously sends out pain signals. What TAME does is address this source itself, rather than trying to suppress it after the signal has already been sent out. This is also where it differs from the aspects targeted by anti-inflammatory drugs and rehabilitation; the three are not mutually exclusive or intended to replace one another.

"Pruning" Abnormal Vessels: Will Normal Vessels Be Affected?

The concept of treatment is to only address the abnormal parts. Standard C-TAME is performed under the guidance of angiographic equipment: physicians use microcatheters to identify abnormally proliferating blood vessels on the image, and selectively deliver embolized particles to the target area. The concept is similar to a gardener pruning a tree, cutting away only the messy and redundant branches while preserving the healthy trunk. After the abnormal vessels shrink, the pain signals and local inflammatory responses released by them are reduced, while normal vessels are preserved.

U-Medical's C-TAME utilizes the GE OEC 3D mobile C-arm with cone-beam CT (3D tomography) function to obtain three-dimensional images of microvessels during the procedure for selective embolization.

Under What Circumstances Is It Suitable to Evaluate TAME?

Three common evaluation prerequisites: Pain persists or recurs for more than three months; conservative treatments such as anti-inflammatory drugs, rehabilitation, shockwave therapy, pain patches, or local injections have been tried with limited efficacy; and the level of pain has affected sleep, work, or sports.

Common evaluation sites cover the fingers, toes, wrists, ankles, knees, elbows, shoulders, and hip joints. Examples include frozen shoulder, partial rotator cuff tears, tennis elbow, golfer's elbow, degenerative knee osteoarthritis, as well as long-term pain caused by post-surgical, major injury, or repetitive strain degeneration. It should be clarified that TAME has specific indications and is not suitable for all chronic pain. It still must be determined by a physician based on medical history, physical examination, and imaging.

For Further Understanding, What Can I Read?

To learn about the differences between C-TAME and the simplified s-TAME, whether hospitalization is required, and the duration of recovery, please refer to 〈C-TAME and s-TAME Microvascular Embolization Frequently Asked Questions〉 on this site; to understand the difference between TAME and long-term steroid pain management, you can refer to 〈What Is the Difference Between TAME Microvascular Embolization and Long-Term Steroid Pain Relief?〉. If your pain has persisted for more than three months and conservative treatments have shown limited results, you can first perform a pre-assessment via LINE, and bring your past imaging data (X-rays, MRI, ultrasound) and treatment records during your visit for the physician to confirm the source of pain and discuss suitable options.

Written by: Dr. Ping-Sheng Lu
Professional Review: Dr. Ping-Sheng Lu 2026/07/25

Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and cannot replace a physician's diagnosis and medical advice. The suitability of any treatment must be evaluated and decided by a doctor.

References:

1. Okuno Y, Korchi AM, Shinjo T, Kato S, Kaneko T. Midterm clinical outcomes and MR imaging changes after transcatheter arterial embolization as a treatment for mild to moderate radiographic knee osteoarthritis resistant to conservative treatment. J Vasc Interv Radiol. 2017;28(7):995–1002.（PubMed：28365171）