Back pain injections


Chances are that you too might have faced back pain on a particular day or the other. Research shows that every people face back pains during the course of their life. Generally 95% of people who face back pain need not go in for surgery. Most of such pains are cured with the help of anti inflammatory drugs that are prescribed by doctors. In other occasions a bit of exercises that help stretch and compress the spinal cord also helps people in getting rid of their back pain. Doctors loathe recommending back surgery unless there is no other option left.

This is due to the sheer complexity of back surgery. There are thousands of nerves running round the spinal cord region that connect the human brain with the other limbs. If any vital nerve gets damaged during the course of the operation, it might well cause serious implications in the patient and at times might even result in his or her death. There are certain injections that are also used to treat pains in the back. Though oral medicines are also available, the usage of injections is recommended since this way the medication is delivered directly to the anatomic region where the pain is being generated.

In general cases a strong anti-inflammatory solution is injected into the area where the source of the pain lies. There are different causes of back pains and hence the relief gained from the injection might either be long lasting or one that lasts just for a few hours. There are some other types of injections too that are used for diagnosing back pains.

For example lidocaine (a type of numbing agent) injection is administered into the suspected area and if the pain subsides then the doctor is confirmed of the region where the anti inflammatory injection needs to be injected. There are different types of injections that are used for providing relief for back pains and they comprise:
  • Facet rhizotomy
  • Epidural
  • Facet joint block
  • SNRB (Selective nerve root block)
  • Sacroiliac joint back
The one that is used the most is the epidural steroid injection. Before the usage of this injection the skin of the lower back is number by applying local anesthesia. After that a steroid is directly injected around the dura. This type of injection helps reduce inflammation to a great degree, especially in conditions like degenerative disc disease, disc herniation, and spinal stenosis. It is also believed that the flushing effect caused by the application of the injection helps to flush out proteins that are inflammatory in nature from around the structures that might cause pain.

It is reported that this type of injection helps in relieving nearly 50% of patients of the pain in their back. The effects of this type of injection varies from patient to patient and can last as less as one week to as long as one year. This type of injection is also preferred for those who are facing an episode of intense back pain and need immediate relief.

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