Types of Spinal Injections
Therapeutic Injections
Epidural Steroid Injections: This type of injection delivers medicine directly to the area that is suspected of causing discomfort. There are two types of approaches to deliver the medicine. One route is called interlaminar and the other is transforaminal. The approach that is chosen depends on your particular medical condition. The physician will determine which approach is used. Facet joint injection: There are tiny joints in your back called facet joints. These joints can be a pain generator if arthritis develops there. Local anesthetic and steroid can be injected in the joint to help decrease pain.
Sacroiliac Joint Injection
This is a large joint between your sacrum and pelvis. Local anesthetic and a steroid can be injected into the joint to help decrease pain.
Diagnostic Injections
In general, a diagnostic injection involves injecting a local anesthetic (numbing medication) in an area around a nerve or into a joint. We do this to see if that area is causing your pain. You may need several diagnostic injections to find the location and/or cause of your pain.
Following are a few diagnostic injections that can be done:
Medial Branch Blocks: This nerve supplies the sensation to the facet joints. If by blocking this nerve, your pain is reduced, we may be able to ablate (burn and destroy) that nerve to decrease pain. Sacroiliac joint and facet joint injection: These involve placing local anesthetic in the joint.
