Wondering if a Steroid Injection Will Relieve Your Pain?

Chronic spine pain that hasn’t responded well to their treatments may mean you need extra help in the form of spinal injections to send medication directly to the site of your pain. Steroid injections are what is known as an interventional pain management technique and can reduce inflammation and pain caused by pressure on the nerves along your spine.   

At Progressive Spine & Sports Medicine in Ramsey, New Jersey, our expert physicians provide a range of pain management options, including steroid injections using cortisone to reduce swelling and relieve spine pain. 

Steroid injection basics

Cortisone is a common steroid medication used for injection into the spine or other joints. Some doctors use it as an epidural steroid injection (ESI). This means the injection is directed into the epidural space at the outer side of your spinal canal. ESIs are effective at reducing pain originating from nerve roots near your spine.  

Before our team administers this type of treatment, we’ll go over the entire procedure with you and explain the risks and benefits. Then we identify the precise location of the nerves sending pain signals to your brain, use a topical anesthetic to numb the site, and inject a mixture of anesthetic and corticosteroids into the tissue surrounding those nerves. 

The whole procedure only takes a few minutes. Most patients start feeling better in just a few days, although for some patients, it can take longer, or you might require another injection to fully treat your condition. The pain relief can last a few months or up to a year. 

The best thing about this form of pain relief is that you’ll be able to move around more, increasing mobility and flexibility and strengthening the muscles that hold your spine up. This can mean a lower level of pain even after the steroid injection wears off.  

Candidates for steroid injections

Steroid injections aren’t typically a line of treatment for a muscular injury, like a back strain or sprain. Our team administers them for chronic or acute back pain originating from spinal nerves which have been pinched, pressured, or damaged by:

• Spinal stenosis (a narrowing of the spinal canal)
• Injury to your vertebrae 
• Damaged (herniated or slipped) or deteriorating discs 
• Bone spurs forming on your spine 
• A failed back surgery

If you’re struggling with chronic, intense back pain, we may be able to find a nonsurgical solution that works for you. To learn more about ultrasound technology and how it can help, call 201-273-9702, or request an appointment online.