Minimally invasive injections are one of the most common forms of treatment in interventional pain management. These non-surgical, low risk injections often provide pain control and increase in mobility and function.
What is injection therapy?
Injection therapy includes several types of injections, including epidural steroid injections and trigger point injections. Epidural steroid injections are usually used for patients who suffer from chronic back pain, while trigger point injections are used specifically for trigger points – small, tight “knots” of muscle that cause pain. Both epidural steroid injections and trigger point injections usually consist of a local anesthetic for fast-acting pain relief in addition to a longer-lasting corticosteroid to provide pain relief over a longer period of time.
What can I expect from injection therapy?
Epidural steroid injections are performed under fluoroscopy (live x-ray imaging) to guide your doctor as they administer the injection to the correct place for the best pain relief. The anti-inflammatory medication is injected into the epidural space at the location of the nerve inflammation or damage.
For trigger point injections, your doctor will identify the area where the trigger point is located and inject the medication directly into the trigger point.
What are the benefits of injection therapy?
Both epidural steroid injections and trigger point injections are minimally invasive, are very low risk, and usually provide pain relief very quickly.
Who is an ideal candidate for injection therapy?
Those who suffer from chronic back pain due to sciatica, lumbar radiculopathy, degenerative disc disease, or chronic pain due to nerve damage or inflammation may be good candidates for epidural steroid injections.
Patients who have chronic muscle pain and have been identified to have a trigger point are generally good candidates for trigger point injections.