What Are Spinal Injections?

There are several types of spinal injections to be used to either treat a specific spinal condition or for pain management of a condition. These injections are especially helpful in cases of inoperable spinal conditions. The doctors at Nebraska Spine Hospital gather information about a given spinal condition, make a diagnosis and then decide which type of spinal injection, if any, should be used for the treatment of the condition.

Beyond pain management and treatment of a given condition, spinal injections can also help patients regain mobility in their neck, back, legs or arms -whichever area they were facing restriction in.

We offer several types of spinal injections at the Nebraska Spine Hospital, depending on your inflammation, pain management or mobility needs. Some injections will even help your doctor pinpoint the exact source of your pain, which helps them reach a quicker and more accurate diagnosis.

KnowYourBack.org have a great e-book on what patients can expect from their spinal injection procedure. Click here to view.

• Epidural Steroid Injections – are often used to inject anesthetic and anti-inflammatory medication to reduce nerve inflammation and the resulting pain.

• Selective Nerve Root Blocks – helps to determine the specific spinal nerve root that is the source of pain and to inject medicine that reduces inflammation to relieve the pain.

• Trigger Point Injections – deliver pain relief and anti-inflammatory medicine to relax back and neck muscles that cause pain.

• Facet Joint injections/Nerve Blocks – allow physicians to diagnose and treat neck, middle back, low back pain and associated radiating pain.

• Sacroiliac Joint injections – is used for both the diagnosis and treatment of pain caused by the sacroiliac or SI joint.

• Radiofrequency Ablation (Rhizotomy) – uses radiofrequency waves to generate heat around a nerve to relieve pain in the lumbar.

• Provocation Discography – used for the diagnosis of pain.

Spinal injections are an outpatient procedure, but patients should arrange for ride after the procedure is done. Spinal injection patients will be asked very routine questions about their pain, current medications and allergies. Patients might also be asked not to take their pain medication within a certain time frame before the procedure. This request is essential to follow so that the doctor administering the injection can accurately locate the source of pain. Again, that will depend on your condition and your doctor.

If you have any questions about spinal injections, we would love to connect you with a nurse, or doctor who can give you all the answers you need. Please don’t hesitate to give us a call at NSH at 855-SPINE12.