How Injections Can Help Back Pain!

For some people, back pain may happen suddenly, i.e. a wrong twist or turn. For others, it may develop gradually, growing from occasional spasms into a chronic and disabling painful condition. Eight out of ten people will suffer from back pain at some time in their lives.

What causes most back pain:

• Problems with muscles and ligaments (stretching of the ligaments and strain of the muscles in the back)

• Slipped disc can cause sciatica

• Arthritis

• Fractures

• Degenerative changes of the spine

• Slippage of one vertebra on another

INJECTIONS:

EPIDURAL STEROID INJECTION

A safe, practical and effective method of treating back pain problems caused by nerve compression is with epidural steroid injections. The injection DOES NOT merely cover up the pain. The injections work by reducing the swelling and inflammation around the discs and nerves. When swelling and inflammation are reduced, the pressure on the nerve is reduced. This produces pain relief and a reduction of other symptoms. An epidural consists of a steroid and sometimes a small amount of local anesthetic. This is injected into the sleeve (epidural space) surrounding the spinal area. It is not a spinal injection.

FACET JOINT SYNDROME

Symptoms of facet syndrome ....
Facet syndrome often occurs as a result of disc space narrowing, capsular irritation from arthritis, facet syndrome and sciatica which may occur concomitantly, low back pain, groin pain or posterior buttock pain. The only way to diagnose facet syndrome is by injection of local anesthetic into the facet joint or injection of its nerve supply.

What is a facet joint?
It is a joint between the two vertebrae, which allows us to turn and bend forward and backwards.

TRIGGER POINT INJECTION

Trigger points is a very painful condition in which distinct areas within the muscles or fascia become abnormally active and produce local and referred pain. It is a hyperexcitable focus in the skeletal muscle. The prominent feature is pain and spasm, stiffness, decreased range of motion, fatigue, which can lead to psychological reaction, such as, depression and sleep disturbances.

Proper treatment generally invokes inactivation of the trigger point through injections, stretching, physical therapy, massage, electrical stimulation, ultrasound, relaxation training.