Spinal injections are a great way to temporarily relieve pain and discomfort in patients who are experiencing neck, back, or spine pain. Spinal injections help reduce pain, reduce inflammation, and may end up resolving your pain in some scenarios; as you’re then able to regain strength and stamina through exercise-based approaches such as physical therapy, ultimately leading to healing. In this post, we’ll be discussing ten types of spinal injections for pain relief and how we at Neurosurgery & Spine Consultants can help you overcome your pain through a wide variety of methods, both listed here, and elsewhere on our website. Feel free to contact us should you have any questions or if you’d like to make an appointment.
ESI Injections (Epidural Steroid Injections)
This is one of the most common types of injections we utilize here at Neurosurgery & Spine consultants. ESI injections can be a great solution to temporarily relieve pain associated with herniated docs or spinal stenosis. The steroid itself is injected into the epidural space surrounding the spinal cord to reduce inflammation and pain, leading to the potential for healing and strength building exercises.
Facet Joint Injections
The facet joints are small joints in the back which may become inflamed due to injury, overexertion, or preexisting conditions. Using a local anesthetic and steroid injection, we’re able to relieve pain and discomfort by injecting the solutions into the facet joints which relieve pain almost immediately in some cases.
SNRB (Selective Nerve Root Block) Injections
If a specific nerve root is compressed, irritated, or inflamed, this type of spinal injections may provide relief. The SNRB injection administers specific medications near the affected nerve root which may be compressed, inflamed, or irritated. Additionally, this type of injection is able to provide our doctors with valuable diagnostic information regarding your sources of pain and discomfort.
Interlaminar Epidural Injection
This type of injection is similar to an epidural steroid injection, in that it delivers steroids into the epidural space, yet the needle itself is inserted into space between the vertebrae. This type of injection is most commonly utilized in patients with chronic low back pain.
SI Joint Injections
Sacroiliac joint injections target the SI joint at the base of the spine. The pain associated with this joint is commonly noticed in the lower back and buttocks region. Anesthetics and steroids are the solutions we use to relieve pain and reduce inflammation.
Medial Branch Block
This specific block targets the nerves which supply the facet joints throughout the spinal area. Through blocking these nerves with the medial branch block, we’re able to determine whether or not the facet joints are the true source of pain and discomfort. If the facet joints are the source of pain and discomfort, we can then treat those areas with the appropriate pain management solutions.
Discography
While this injection is not a pain relief injection, it does help us identify sources of pain and discomfort in our patients. This injection involves injecting a contrast dye into the spinal disc itself to determine if there are tears or degradation from injuries, wear-and-tear, or even degeneration. From there, we can determine the next best steps for a treatment protocol to help relieve your pain and discomfort.
Trigger Point Injections
A trigger point injection typically involves injecting local anesthetics or steroids into the trigger points which are causing you pain and discomfort. This type of injection can be very helpful for relieving pain in patients who have muscle knot, muscle tightness, or muscle discomfort.
Kyphoplasty
This type of procedure involves multiple steps to provide relief to a patient who has a vertebral compression fracture. A medical grade balloon is placed into the patient’s spinal area to allow space for the procedure to take place. From there, the medical grade balloon is slightly inflated to allow for the injection of bone cement within the affected area. This process allows stabilization of the fracture itself and restores vertebral height.
Botox Injections
Botox injections can be utilized in some scenarios to reduce [pain and discomfort caused by chronic muscle spasms or tension. While this is not a traditional pain management injection, many providers are now considering the use of botox for pain relief with issues of the neck, back, and spine.
Contact Us for Pain Relief Today!
If you’re experiencing chronic pain and you’re searching for relief, you’ll want to contact us at Neurosurgery & Spine Consultants. We’re here to help with our dedicated pain management providers who help our patients via our in-house pain management clinic. We’re your choice for a one-stop solution to pain and discomfort. Our pain management facility, paired with our physical therapy center can be a great combination of treatment solutions to have you feeling your best once again. Feel free to contact us using the form below and we’ll be sure to respond to your message as soon as possible. We look forward to hearing from you soon!
DISCLAIMER: No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.