Chronic back and neck pain can make life unbearable. The pain will hinder your mobility and hinder you from participating in your favorite activities. Conservative treatments will be your doctor’s first recommendation. When your pain fails to cease despite conventional treatments, your care provider could suggest corticosteroid injections to relieve you from pain. Dr. Garen Gajian is a pain management specialist who can ease your chronic pain. The injections you are most likely to get from the expert and his team include:
Epidural injections
An epidural injection works by delivering anesthetics, steroids and anti-inflammatory medications into your treatment area, usually around your spine (epidural space) to temporarily or permanently relieve you from inflammation or pain. Your doctor will decide to use caudal, interlaminar, or transforaminal routes to administer your injection based on your diagnosis and a record of spine surgeries if any.
A transforaminal injection will most likely be your doctor’s first approach when considering an epidural injection. The injection targets your specific treatment area where you have affected nerve roots. The volume and concentration level your care provider will inject into your epidural space will vary depending on your underlying condition and pain’s severity.
During the procedure, your doctor will inject you with local anesthesia to numb your treatment area. Guided by fluoroscopy, your doctor will inject a contrast dye to check the content’s spread. After confirmation, the specialist will inject the medication into your epidural space. You are likely to feel a mild burning sensation as the drugs enter your treatment area. However, the discomfort will fade a few minutes after your doctor is through with the procedure.
Your doctor will recommend an epidural injection when he wants to relieve you from pain resulting from:
- Spinal stenosis
- Bone spurs
- Post-operative surgery syndromes
- A herniated disc
Facet joint injections
A facet joint injection is a minimally invasive procedure your doctor will recommend when you have chronic back or neck joint pain. The injection works by minimizing irritation and inflammation in your spine’s facet joints, causing you pain. Facet joints connect your backbones, allowing movement in your neck and lower torso. Unfortunately, age, a medical condition, or injury on any area of your spine is likely to cause an inflammation of the joints minimizing your range of motion.
Your doctor will not only use facet joint injections to relieve you from pain; he could also use the treatment to diagnose any underlying condition you could be having. Before you go to your doctor for the injection, you should discuss with the expert your medical history. You will not be eligible for the procedure if you have poor health or poorly managed health conditions. You should expect minor side effects like bruising, bleeding, and soreness in your treatment areas after the injection.
Your doctor will recommend a facet joint injection when you have conditions like:
- Spinal stenosis
- Whiplash
- Arthritis
- A herniated disc
Epidural injections and facet joint injections will offer you rapid pain relief from chronic neck and back pain. The treatments will help you resume your everyday activities and allow you to go for physical therapy to counter your pain’s underlying cause. If you have further inquiries about the injections and how you could benefit, it is time to contact your specialist.