sually is considered if you have low back and leg pain that does not get better with other nonoperative treatments, such as oral medications (e.g., ibuprofen, a brief course of narcotics), exercises, mobilization (e.g., osteopathic treatments), physical therapy modalities (e.g., heat, ice, ultrasound, electric stimulation), or bracing. Usually, these people have moderate to severe pain that interferes with several daily activities and that has lasted longer than a few months. Many times, these injections can help speed up the body's own recovery process, thereby shortening the painful episode.
Who cannot have them?
In general, you cannot have one of these procedures if
The number of injections you will have usually depends on the type of spinal injection and whether it relieves your pain. In general, diagnostic injections (except discography) are performed twice. Therapeutic injections can be repeated if they provide long-term relief (i.e., several months or more). In practice, only one or two injections are usually administered, and, typically, you will not have more than three to five injections each year. If you do not have long-term relief, you may need a more permanent intervention such as surgery.
Spinal injections can be a useful addition to the nonoperative treatment of your low back and leg pain. By getting to the source of your pain, the injections may relieve your pain for weeks, months, or years.
Douglas T. Cannon, M.D.