A spinal injection is an invasive procedure used for both diagnosing and treatinglow back pain.
The purpose of a spinal injection is to deliver medicine directly to the specific site of pain.
Pain relief from diagnostic injections is generally temporaryusually lasting just a few hours.
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When you have an injection as a treatment, the relief tends to last longer.
Here are four commonly administered spinal injections.
Facet joints are connections between the bones of the spine on each side and each vertebral level.
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They add integrity to the spine by limiting excessive movement.
The facet joint is a common site for spinal arthritis.
A facet injection alone is not likely to give you lasting results.
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Only limited evidence supports the use of the intra-articular and periarticular types of sacroiliac injections.
Another treatment option is pulsed or conventional radiofrequency neurotomy.
Radiofrequency neurotomy introduces heat into the joint to interrupt nerve pain transmission.
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(By the way, these fancy words refer to the direction and location of the needle insertion.)
In this case, either interlaminar or caudal epidural injections are recommended.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are multiple types of spinal injection for back pain.
An epidural injection is typically used to treat a herniated disc.
This involves inserting an anti-inflammatory medication, like a steroid, into the epidural space.
This space is located between the spine and vertebral canal and runs along the length of the spine.
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