When you think about injections, the first thoughts that come to your mind are never usually pleasant. If you suffer from a condition that causes you to live daily with pain, the thought of an injection could soon become a pleasant one. There are quite a few therapeutic injections available to help change your mind including spinal epidural, facet, trigger point, and joint injections.
Spinal Epidural Injections are most often used to treat low back and leg pain associated with sciatica. These have been used for low back problems since 1952 and are still an integral part of non-surgical pain. Studies have shown that more than 50% of patients find measurable pain relief after the injection. Spinal Epidural Injections are delivered directly to the source of the pain, while other forms of pain management; oral steroids and painkillers have a dispersed, less-focused impact.
Facet joint injections combine a local anesthetic and an anti-inflammatory medication that is used to relieve both pain and inflammation. It is also a precise diagnostic tool. Physicians are able to see and accurately target the affected joint(s) by using fluoroscopic guidance (x-ray). Facet joints are the small joints located between each vertebra that provide the spine with both stability and flexibility. These small joints can become inflamed or irritated due to facet joint syndrome or due to arthritis. This treatment can help alleviate that pain and irritation.
Trigger point injection is a procedure used to treat painful areas of the muscle that contain trigger points, or knots of muscle that form when the muscle doesn’t relax. Many times these knots can be felt under the skin. During the procedure, a small needle is inserted into the patient’s trigger point. The injection contains a local anesthetic and sometimes a corticosteroid. When the injection takes place, the trigger point is made inactive and thus relief is achieved almost immediately.
Joint injections are a procedure used to treat inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, gout, tendinitis, bursitis, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and sometimes even osteoarthritis. During the procedure, a hypodermic needle is injected into the affected joint delivering one of many anti-inflammatory agents.
Northeast Spine and Sports Medicine offers a variety of treatment options for whatever condition you are suffering from. With our new location in Barnegat we are able to treat even more patients! Contact us for an appointment to learn more about how therapeutic injections can get you pain relief!
