Spine Injections

If you’re suffering from back or neck pain, you may have tried anti-inflammatory medications, only to discover they don’t provide enough relief. Perhaps it’s time to explore more lasting, noninvasive treatment? Your one-stop answer for comprehensive spinal care, The Spine Center of Louisiana will help you decide if you’re a good candidate for spinal injections. Call or schedule an online consultation today at one of their convenient locations in Baton Rouge, Walker, or Prairieville, Louisiana.

 

Spinal Injections Q & A

What is a spinal injection?

A spinal injection is used for both diagnosis and treatment. Spinal injections can diagnose the source of pain in your legs, back, neck, or arms. At the same time, spinal injections can relieve pain by administering a dose of medication to the precise source of your pain. As you might imagine, spinal injections for pain treatment offer longer pain relief than those used for diagnosis.

When used for treatment, spinal injections are typically one element of a comprehensive therapeutic plan. The medical team at The Spine Center of Louisiana typically recommends an exercise regime, including stretching and weight training to strengthen supportive muscles and improve your mobility.

How do spinal injections diagnose pain?

When you have pain, the goal is to find and treat the source. To do this, your doctor at The Spine Center of Louisiana takes your medical history and performs a physical examination. This allows your doctor to pinpoint the source of your pain. Then, they’ll inject pain-killing medication in the suspected area. If that knocks out your pain, it confirms their diagnosis is correct.

What are common spinal injections?

Spinal injections can relieve the symptoms of painful conditions that affect your back and legs. Here are some common spinal injections:

Epidural injection

Typically treats a herniated disc or disc radiculitis. Your doctor at The Spine Center of Louisiana injects a numbing medicine and anti-inflammatory medication, such as a steroid, near the affected nerve. The treatment alleviates pain and reduces inflammation.

Facet joint injection

Generally treats pain from an injury or degenerative and arthritic conditions. This injection alleviates pain in your lower back, middle back, and neck.

Sacroiliac joint injection

Sacroiliac joints are found between the sacrum and ilium (pelvic) bones. Injections here reduce pain in the legs, lower back, and buttocks.

How long do injections last?

Ideally, spinal injections would eliminate pain forever, but spinal injections are a temporary solution—meaning you’ll need to go back for treatment when the injection wears off. Depending on your medical condition, you can expect to need injections three to four times per year to keep your pain manageable.

If you’re ready to learn more about the pros and cons of spinal injections, call or schedule an online consultation today with The Spine Center of Louisiana.

Facet Joint Injection

The facet joint is where the vertebrae of your spine connect together.  If there is arthritis or inflammation surrounding this joint it can be a source of your low back pain. This pain is usually worsened with standing and extension of your lower back.

A facet injection is an injection of steroid into the facet joint of the spine. The steroid decreases inflammation in this joint and can relieve pain. Since steroid is used this procedure may provide relief anywhere from weeks to months and in some cases years. These injections can be repeated if needed for continued pain relief.

Risks are rare but include infection, bleeding, prolonged increase in pain, and nerve damage. This procedure is done under X-ray guidance and IV sedation for your comfort.

 

Epidural Steroid Injection

An epidural steroid injection (ESI) is an injection of long lasting steroid (“cortisone”) in the epidural space; this space is the area which surrounds the spinal cord and the spinal nerves. The steroid medication injected reduces the inflammation and/or swelling of nerves in the epidural space, which may in turn reduce pain, tingling, numbness, and other symptoms. An ESI may be performed to relieve symptoms that are caused by spinal stenosis, spondylosis, or disc herniation. The procedure is done under IV sedation and with the guidance of an X-ray machine. The actual injection takes only a few minutes to perform.

Click here to read an article from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons about spinal injections.

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