Spinal injections are one of the most popular and effective treatments for chronic spinal pain. Spinal injections are commonly used to treat chronic pain in the cervical, thoracic and lumbosacral spine. The most common injections are cervical and lumbar epidurals, facet joint and sacroiliac joint injections.
Epidural Steroid Injections
We discussed Epidural Steroid Injections (ESI) in an earlier blog post. ESI are one of the most effective shorter-term treatments for chronic back pain.
Facet Joint Injections
Facet joint injections are placed into and around the facet joints, which are the small joints located between each vertebra on the backside of the spine. Facet joint injections are commonly used when pain is caused by degenerative conditions or from injury. They may be used to treat chronic neck, middle back, or low back pain.
Sacroilliac Joint Injections
We have previously blogged about Sacroilliac Joint Pain. Sacroiliac joint (SI joint) injections are similar to facet joint injections in many ways. The sacroiliac (SI) joint is a strong weight bearing joint in the pelvis that connects the sacrum and pelvis. The SI joint transmits all the forces of the upper body to the pelvis and legs. here are two joints, one on each side of the sacrum, reinforced by ligaments. Both joints provide shock absorption for the spine. The SI joint can become inflamed, unstable and painful. Localized steroid injections into the SI joint can provide targeted therapy to reduce pain and inflammation.
The majority of patients do extremely well and experience significant relief of pain and suffering following spinal injections. Sometimes injections may need to be repeated as many times they are not a long-term solution to chronic back pain
If you are experiencing chronic pain in your cervical, thoracic, or sacrum, it may be time to call the pain management specialists at Oklahoma Interventional Spine & Pain at 918-728-8020 or visit our website. You can also learn more about our doctors Dr. Brandon Claflin and Dr. Jeff Halsell,