Injections

There are two major types of spinal injection procedures, diagnostic injections and therapeutic injections.

Diagnostic injections are designed to provide your physician with helpful information about the cause of your painful condition. They usually involve the injection of dye and / or local anesthetic medication into a specific area in your neck or back. Your response to the procedure will help your physician determine the cause of your symptoms. Common diagnostic injections include selective nerve root block, medial branch block, facet injection, sacroiliac joint injection, and discography.

Therapeutic injections are designed to provide you with at least temporary relief from your symptoms. They can be similar to a diagnostic injection, but also usually involve the injection of cortisone. Cortisone is a strong anti-inflammatory medication that can be very helpful in reducing the pain caused by inflammation. The most common therapeutic injections are epidural injections.

Sometimes, injections provide both diagnostic information and pain relief.

Disclaimer
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