If you’re having trouble completing your physical therapy exercises or conservative techniques have become less effective at treating your back pain, your doctor may recommend a more hands-on treatment in the form of a spinal injection. These spinal injections deliver anti-inflammatory and numbing medications directly to a specific area of your spine to help provide pain relief. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at what you can expect before, during and after these spinal injections are administered.
Before A Spinal Injection
Before you’ll receive your spinal injection, you’ll want to follow the specific instructions put forth by your spine specialist. These directions may vary a bit from provider to provider, but in general you’ll be asked to tell your doctor about any medications you are currently taking. Certain medications can thin your blood, and this can potentially cause issues with your injection and recovery, so it’s important that you are up front about your medication use and stop taking any medications that your provider advises against.
Before you undergo a spinal injection, you’ll likely undergo a physical assessment and imaging tests to pinpoint the source of your discomfort. After all, your specialist needs to know if the injection will provide relief and if it’s a worthwhile venture to pursue. If you had imaging tests taken at another facility, make sure your spine specialist has access to these images.
On the day of the procedure, it may be in your best interest to have someone drive you to the clinic, especially if pain makes it difficult to drive safely. As long as you’re on time and feeling generally healthy on the day of the procedure, you’ll be taken back to a care room, which brings us to the next stage.
During The Injection
Again, the specifics will vary based on the procedure and your individual needs, but most people can expect to eventually be taken to an operating/examination room that has all the supplies for the procedure. You will likely be asked to change into provided clothes or remove certain layers so that the injection site can be accessed. You will then lie down on the table per the doctor’s instructions, which is typically on the side or on your stomach.
It’s possible that you will be attached to monitoring equipment and given an intravenous line so that you are sedated, but many times only local anesthesia is applied to the area of the skin where the injection will be placed. The area will also be sterilized before the doctor carefully inserts the needle. Typically, they will use live x-ray guidance to ensure the needle and its solution are administered at the precise location inside your body.
After A Spinal Injection
After you receive a spinal injection, you’ll likely be asked to remain in the operating room or you’ll be moved to a recovery room for a short period of observation. After a short time period, if you are not experiencing any symptoms and you have control of your limbs and normal balance, you’ll be allowed to leave the spine center. If you received a sedative, someone else will have to drive you home.
It’s a good idea to have a friend or family member stay with you for the remainder of the day to help with tasks and monitor for any issues. Plan on taking it easy the rest of the day, and don’t return to work or undergo any physical tasks. You can likely return to work or normal physical activities the following day, but you may experience some soreness or tenderness at the injection site. Cold therapy can help with some of this discomfort, but the majority of people feel much better than they did prior to the injection within 24-48 hours of their procedure.
The injection should provide weeks or months of pain reduction or relief, but the effects will fade, so make sure you are continuing other active treatment modalities to drive home your spinal recovery. For more information, or for help with your back discomfort, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi and the team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today.
