Kaiser Fremont/Hayward Spinal Diagnostic Services

39400 Paseo Padre Parkway

Fremont, CA 94538

Discharge Instruction: Selective Nerve Root Injections

You have undergone a lumber selective nerve root injection with regional anesthetics and corticosteroids. It is likely that the effects of this anesthetic are still present when you are discharged home. The regional/local anesthetic provides pain relief and also prevents your muscles from working at full strength. Please pay attention to the following side effects and post-injection instructions:

1. It is not uncommon to experience pain or soreness at the site of your neck or back injection, apply ice packs to the injection site for no longer than 20 minutes. You may repeat the ice pack treatment 4 to 6 times as needed. You may take pain medication prescribed by your referring doctor as needed.

2. You may also resume your usual medication after procedure

3. If you are diabetic, the steroids may temporarily increase your blood sugar levels. If this occurs, please notify your personal doctor. Your diabetic medication may need to be adjusted. Other steroid effects may include water retention, insomnia, restlessness and headache.

4. You may experience mild numbness, tingling, or weakness in your neck/arm or back/leg after your injection. This is the result of the numbing agent that was used and it will resolve within a few hours of the injection. You may not drive for 8 hours after the procedure. If you received IV sedation during the procedure you may not drive for 24 hours after your procedure.

5. The pain relief that you receive from your injection may not be immediately evident following the block. You will need to keep a log of your pain for one week following the injection in order to discuss the results with your primary spine physician.

6. Under certain circumstances you will be issued a pain diary and instructed in how to fill it out. You should bring your completed pain diary with you during the follow up visits.

7. If you develop ANY of the following, please call the doctor you have seen for your procedure or go to the emergency room:

Fever, chills, severe tenderness at the injection site, weakness in the arm (for neck procedure) or leg (back procedure) that persists the next day after the procedure, unable to urinate or have new incontinence of bowel or bladder, breathing difficulty, dizziness, severe total body rash, facial or tongue swelling, chest pain.

Monday to Friday, from 9 am to12:30 pm & 1:30 pm to 5 pm, call 510-675-3070

After 5:00 PM, on weekends or Holidays, call 510-675-4010 and ask for the advice nurse.

Your next appointment for follow up is with Dr. _______________ in ________weeks/ on ____________________________ (Clinic/via telephone).

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