What are spinal injections?
Spinal injections are minimally invasive procedures that may be used to diagnose or treat pain conditions. The Spine Group is an interventional pain management practice that offers spinal injections to help patients get relief from their pain.
The practice takes a collaborative approach to care, working closely with other health care providers so you get the most benefits out of your spinal injections.
What are the types of spinal injections?
There are different types of spinal injections. The type you need depends on the underlying cause of your pain.
Types of spinal injections include:
Epidural injections
Epidural injections treat pain conditions that originate in the spine and radiate into the arms or legs. Pain that radiates into your arms or legs may be a sign of a compressed or irritated spinal nerve root.
Epidural injections reduce inflammation of the nerve to ease pain.
Facet joint injections
Facet joint injections help diagnose facet arthritis and treat facet joint pain. Facet arthritis occurs from the wearing away of the cartilage that separates the facet joints in the spine, leading to irritation and inflammation of the spinal nerves that exit the facet joint.
Facet arthritis may cause dull, achy pain that radiates into your lower back and buttocks or from your neck into your shoulder and head.
The Spine Group may administer facet joint injections to determine if your facet joint is the source of your pain and then continue with these joint injections for long-term relief.
Sacroiliac joint injections
Sacroiliac joint injections help diagnose and treat pain from sacroiliac joint problems. The sacroiliac joint forms the connection between your sacrum and pelvis. Problems in this joint may cause lower back pain or hip pain.
Sacroiliac joint injections help confirm or rule out the underlying cause of your pain so you get the right treatment.
What happens during spinal injections?
Your interventional pain management physician customizes your spinal injection treatment plan based on the type of injection you need. Your provider performs these injections using the guidance of X-ray technology to ensure accurate placement of the medication.
While you lie on the X-ray table, your provider injects a local anesthetic to numb the site of your injection. They insert the needle into your spine and administer a contrast dye to ensure accurate placement and then inject the medication.
You need to arrange a ride home following your spinal injection and take the rest of the day off. You should be able to resume most of your usual activities the next day.
Call The Spine Group or schedule a consultation online today.
