Spinal Injections

Spinal injections are used in two ways. Diagnostic, source of back, leg, neck, or arm pain. Therapeutic can be used as a treatment to relieve pain.​

Most spinal injections are performed as one part of a more comprehensive treatment program. Simultaneous treatment nearly always includes an exercise program to improve or maintain spinal mobility (stretching exercises) and stability (strengthening exercises).

Spinal Injections

Ultra-low Dose, High Definition CT Scans

Ultrasound

Interventional Radiology

Other Imaging

How Does the procedure work?

You will be asked to change into a hospital gown and leave your belongings in a change room.

You will then go into the CT suite and be asked to lie on a table on your stomach. there is equipment over and around the table that allows the radiologist to guide the needle placement. The table will have a thin foam mattress on it and you will have a pillow for your head.

A metal marker will be taped on the skin of your lower back and images or pictures on the fluoroscopy equipment or the CT scanner will be used to adjust the position of this marker so that it is at the correct level for the injection. The skin will be marked with a pen or felt marker to indicate where the needle will enter the skin and the metal marker will then be taken away.

The skin is cleaned with an antiseptic and a drape may be placed on your back. A local anaesthetic injection is used to numb the skin and deeper tissues. This is uncomfortable for a few seconds, producing a pin prick and a stinging sensation. You will be awake and only the area where the lumbar epidural injection is being carried out will be numb.

When the skin and muscles are numb, a thin spinal needle is then guided into the spinal canal and into the epidural space. The placement of the needle in the epidural space is checked by the radiologist by injecting contrast medium (X-ray dye) or air. Contrast medium enables the CT to show the area inside the body where the procedure is being carried out more clearly on the images.

Once it is confirmed that the needle is in the correct position, a mixture of corticosteroid and (in some radiology practices/hospitals) a long acting anaesthetic is/are then injected. The pressure of the injection may momentarily increase the pain, but this is generally quickly relieved as the local anaesthetic takes effect.

As you will be lying on your stomach during the procedure and will be uncomfortable if your stomach is too full, it is advisable to limit food intake to a light meal only, up to 2 hours before the procedure.

It is recommended that you do not drink anything in the 2 hours before the procedure, and you should go to the toilet right before you have the procedure. This is because the local anaesthetic used for this procedure can mean you will not feel your bladder filling as you normally do. This will wear off within an hour or two.

You should wear comfortable clothes that are easy to remove and leave jewellery at home. Please note that some of the disinfectant agents used during these procedures may stain light-coloured clothing. When you make your appointment for the image guided lumbar epidural injection, you need to let the radiology clinic or department know if you are taking any blood thinning medication, such as warfarin, clopidogrel, dabigatran, prasugrel, dipyridamole or asasantin.

Blood thinning medications may need to be stopped for a period of days, or your normal dose reduced, before this procedure is carried out. It is very important that you do not stop any of these medications or change the dose without consulting both the radiology clinic or department and your own doctor. They will give you specific instructions about when to stop and restart the medication. These drugs are usually prescribed to prevent stroke or heart attack, so it is very important that you do not stop taking them without being instructed to do so by your doctor or the radiology practice, or both. Aspirin is usually not stopped.

A blood test may be required to check your blood clotting on the day of the procedure.

Continue with pain medication and other medications as usual.

If you have problems lying on your stomach, please advise the practice or hospital when you make your appointment, as this can make the procedure difficult and the radiologist (specialist doctor) carrying out the procedure needs to be made aware of this.

You may be monitored by nursing staff while you lie in a bed in the observation ward for approximately 2 hours before you are allowed to leave.

You will need to have someone take you home, because you are not allowed to drive immediately after the procedure.

It can vary, but spinal injections generally take between 15 and 30 minutes.

Therapeutic spinal injections can be used as a treatment to relieve pain.​ The effect and duration of the injections greatly vary according to each patient situation. Spinal injections can help resolve pain permanently in patients with a new disc herniation. For patients with chronic pain or recurrent disc herniations, the desired duration of effect is three to six months or more.

There are mainly 7 types of therapeutic spinal injections: 1- Epidural steroid injections; 2- Facet joint injections; 3- Medial branch nerve blocks; 4- Radiofrequency ablation; 5- Sacroiliac joint injections.; 6- Sympathetic nerve blocks; 7- Regenerative therapy injections.

Spinal injections are usually painless, however, you may feel some pressure during the injection. After the procedure You may be monitored by nursing staff while you lie in a bed in the observation ward for approximately 2 hours before you are allowed to leave. You will need to have someone take you home, because you are not allowed to drive immediately after the procedure.

Therapeutic spinal injections procedures have been used for years and are considered very safe. However, as with all minimally invasive procedures, there are small but extremely rare risks such as bleeding and infection.

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