HomeTreatmentsBest Orthopedic Spine Surgeon in Chennai

Spinal injections are a treatment option if there is persistent pain not improving with medications for variable duration. Most often sciatica not responding to analgesics , rest and physical therapy is considered. Its usually administered in operating room or day care facility where there is fluoroscopy assistance.

Appropriate sized needles are placed under fluoroscopy guidance and the painful focus – often disc prolapse site or stenosis site where the nerve is pinched is targeted .Medications usually used are numbing drugs ( Local anasthetics ) and steroids . usually pain relief is instant due to local anaesthetics which give immediate and temporary relief. Sustained pain relief is got by steroids which take about 72 hours to act.

These injections don’t offer a permanent cure. They can be given at 3 monthly intervals for 2- 3 times. If there is recurrence of pain or partial improvement then surgical option is considered which can be a decompression or fusion surgery .

Variations of these injections

( which essentially work the same way – pain generators are silenced by mix of medications )

1. Selective nerve root block
2. Transforaminal epidural steroid injection
3. Caudal epidural injection
4. Ct scan assisted root blocks

Problems of these injections

1. Bleeding
2. Infection
3. Nerve injury (transient paraesthesia / pain)
4. Giddiness / syncope (drug related / spinal puncture related)