Pain Management Injections

Epidural steroid injections are used as a non-surgical treatment for cervical, thoracic, and lumbar pain. An epidural delivers steroids directly to the affected area to help eliminate inflammation that may be irritating the nerve root.

While the effects from the epidural are temporary, you should experience sufficient pain relief and be able to start rehabilitation. Most patients feel better within a day or two after the injection.

The steroids are given in a series of three epidural injections. The procedure usually takes 10-15 minutes to complete.

• Prior to the injection, you will be given a local anesthetic to numb the area to be injected.
• Your pain management doctor will then locate the appropriate area for the injection using fluoroscopy.
• Following the procedure, you will stay in recovery for approximately 15-20 minutes before going home with a designated driver.

You should avoid heavy lifting or strenuous activities on the day of the procedure, but you can resume normal activity the next day.

A facet joint injection is a steroid injection that reduces the inflammation in the joint space of the spine. The facet joints are located in the back and neck at each vertebral level.

Facet joint injection is an outpatient procedure that usually takes 10-15 minutes to complete.

• During the procedure, you will be given a local anesthetic to numb the skin.
• The procedure is performed under fluoroscopy to help your pain management doctor see the spine.
• Immediately after the injection, you may feel that your pain subsides or lessens. This is due to the local anesthetic injected and will last for a few hours.
• You should start to notice relief from the facet joint injection within 48-72 hours.

All patients will be monitored for about 15-20 minutes before leaving the office. Someone will need to drive you home. We advise patients to take it easy the day of the procedure.

A sacroiliac (SI) joint injection is an injection that reduces the inflammation in the joint space in the low back. The sacroiliac joints are located in the back where the lumbosacral spine joins the pelvis.

The injection consists of a local anesthetic and steroid. The procedure is performed in an outpatient setting under fluoroscopy.

Prior to the procedure, a small amount of contrast dye is used to confirm proper needle placement.

After the injection, you may feel that your pain goes away, which is due to the local anesthetic and lasts for a few hours.

Afterwards, you will be asked to rest for 15-20 minutes before being released. Have someone drive you home and plan on resting until the next day.

It is difficult to predict if the injection will help or not. Usually, patients with recent onset of pain may experience more significant pain relief than those with chronic pain. If the first injection does not relieve your pain in about a week or two weeks, your pain management doctor may recommend you have one more injection.

Trigger point injections are given to patients who suffer from headaches, muscle pain, or spasms located in the neck or lumbar region, and other soft tissue problems. Trigger points can help to relax the muscles and also make movement easier.

Trigger point injections are not painful and may be repeated occasionally. After treatment, we ask that you take it easy for the rest of day. The injection sites may be sore for a day or so. Place ice or heat on the treated areas as directed by physician.

A lumbar sympathetic block is a test that helps your pain management doctor identify the cause of your symptoms in your lower extremities, including burning, pain, or tingling in your legs or feet.

The injection blocks the sympathetic nerves in the region where the medication is injected near the spine. If the sympathetic nerves are causing your problem, the temperature in your feet will rise quickly.

This treatment may be repeated 1 to 2 weeks apart in a series of three nerve blocks. Following the procedure, you will recover for 15-20 minutes before going home with a designated driver. Take it easy the day of the procedure, and you may resume your normal activities the following day.

An occipital nerve block is useful in diagnosing and treating occipital neuralgia (intense head or eye pain caused by inflamed occipital nerves). It is used to relieve or reduce the pain in the back of the head and the scalp. The block may be done on either the left or right side of the back of the head.

During the procedure, your pain management doctor will inject a local anesthetic and steroid into the affected area beneath the scalp. Immediately after the injection you may notice that your pain has subsided or lessened considerably.

This treatment may be repeated 1 to 2 weeks apart in a series of three injections. A 15-20 minute recovery period follows the procedure to make sure you are okay. Plan to have a friend or family member drive you home and avoid any heavy lifting or strenuous activity for the rest of the day.

A stellate ganglion block is performed under fluoroscopy to determine if there is damage to the sympathetic nerve, and if it is the cause of arm pain.

It takes approximately 10-15 minutes for your pain management doctor to complete the procedure.

• You will first receive a local skin anesthetic near the base of the neck to numb the affected area.
• Then the doctor inserts a needle near the transverse process of the cervical spine and injects a local anesthetic.
• After the procedure, you may experience immediate pain relief. You may also notice increased warmth and redness of the painful arm during and after the injection. You may experience a hoarse voice, eye redness, and drooping eyelid.

A stellate ganglion block may be repeated 1 to 2 weeks apart in a series of three injections. Following the procedure, you will stay for 15-20 minutes before going home with a designated driver. You should take it easy the day of the procedure and resume your normal activities the next day.