Pain Intervention
Injections
People with persistent pain, whether it is in the back, neck, or joint, often reduce their physical activities in order to compensate for the persistent pain which can become debilitating for the patient. Injections are typically prescribed for a patient when pain and disability are not relieved by more conservative methods including rest, ice and heat therapies, physical therapy and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications. Injections are normally performed using fluoroscopy which is a specialized x-ray. The interventional radiologist will direct a needle to the affected area and inject an anesthetic and steroid into the targeted area. This reduces the inflammation and lessens or eliminates the pain. There are many types of steroid injections including:These are the most common injections performed by the interventional radiologists. The injections are used on the neck (cervical spine), the mid back (thoracic spine), or the lower back (lumbar spine).
A facet joint is a small stabilizing joints located between and behind adjacent vertebrae of the back. Normally patients experience pain from the facet joints located in the lumbar spine. These injections are also quite common.
The body has a number of joints that, if injured, can result in significant pain and debilitation. A joint injection may be used along with physical therapy and anti-inflammatory medications to significantly decrease the pain and improve range of motion.
