18 Oct Benefits of Spinal Injections
A spinal injection usually involves injecting a local anesthetic and corticosteroid into one or more levels of the cervical or lumbar spine. The local anesthetic provides immediate, short-term pain relief. The corticosteroid is a powerful anti-inflammatory drug that slowly takes effect and provides long-term pain relief.
The spinal injection –
- relieves nerve inflammation and pain
- helps in healing
- allows obtaining important diagnostic information, such as which specific nerve root is contributing to pain and other symptoms
Three common spinal injection procedures are –
- cervical epidural steroid injections
- lumbar epidural steroid injections
- facet joint injections
Spinal injection procedure
Spinal injections are administered in a sterile setting. The patient is given intravenous medication to numb the procedure area as well as to relax. In the procedure suite, the patient is positioned on the treatment table, the skin area is cleansed and a local anesthetic is injected to numb the site where the injection would be administered.
X-ray guidance or fluoroscopy is used to guide the needle into position. A contrast dye is injected to ensure correct needle placement. Then the anesthetic and corticosteroid is injected into the target area of the spine. After the injection, a small bandage is applied to cover the injection site.
After a spinal injection, you may experience one of the following –
- Good pain relief
- Reduced pain
- Pain is relieved, returns for a short time period, and improves again.
- Pain returns after a few days of pain relief
Keep a record of your pain and symptoms. It will help to measure your response to the spinal injection. Depending on your response, another spinal injection or other treatment options may be recommended.
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