Chronic pain is relentless and unpredictable. You may experience good days, but the pain often returns without warning. Living with the uncertainty of when the pain will strike can be incredibly frustrating. Fortunately, with High Point medical injections from Apex Orthopaedics Spine & Neurology, relief is within reach.
Pain management injections offer a minimally invasive solution that provides effective and lasting pain relief. If you suffer from chronic pain due to various injuries or conditions, Apex Orthopaedics Spine & Neurology can help you attain the relief you need. Call 704-412-3045 today to speak with one of our specialists or book a consultation.
How Are Medical Injections Used in Pain Management?
Pain relief injections contain different medications. Most come with a steroid like cortisone, a local anesthetic, or a combination of both. Injections with steroids are typically used for long-term relief from pain and inflammation. Epidural steroid injections are commonly used to alleviate lower back pain. They can also help with neck and upper back pain by introducing the medication into the epidural space around the spinal cord to provide the needed relief.
Another common type of pain relief injection is the nerve block. These injections are used to manage acute pain by interrupting nerve signals that would otherwise register as pain when they reach the brain. Nerve blocks are typically used to manage pain from inflamed nerves but can also help identify the discomfort’s source.
These injections are usually administered in a quick and straightforward procedure. After cleaning the injection site, a medical professional administers a local anesthetic and uses an X-ray and a test dye to pinpoint the exact location for the medication. The specialist then injects the medication and covers the site with a small bandage.
Patients can generally expect their pain to diminish shortly after the injection. The number of injections required for long-term relief varies from patient to patient.
Conditions and Injuries Treated with Injections
Pain management injections can treat a wide array of conditions and injuries that cause chronic pain. Common injuries suitable for this treatment include:
- Back Injuries: Resulting from repetitive movements, heavy lifting, sports accidents, twisting, or falls.
- Dislocated or Fractured Vertebrae
- Cervical or Lumbar Sprains
- Whiplash
- Herniated Disc
- Muscle Strain
- Car Accident Injuries
Additionally, injections can also be used to treat conditions such as:
- Osteoarthritis: This condition occurs when cartilage surrounding bones wears down over time, primarily affecting joints in the spine, hips, knees, and hands.
- Radiculopathy: Painful pinched nerves caused by injuries, degenerative changes, or inflammation.
- Degenerative Discs: Age-related changes cause spinal discs to weaken and dry out, leading to back pain.
- Spinal Stenosis: The narrowing spinal canal puts pressure on the nerves, caused by bone spurs, herniated discs, and thickened ligaments.
Available Medical Injections at Apex Orthopaedics Spine & Neurology
Spinal Injections
Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)
RFA is used to manage chronic pain in arthritic joints, the lower back, and the neck. This process relies on heat to destroy tissue by sending radio waves through a needle to heat a part of the affected nerve. The destruction of the nerve prevents pain signals from reaching the brain. RFA is beneficial for patients whose pain hasn’t responded to other treatments or those who have had a successful nerve block injection, having identified the problematic nerve.
Cervical Medial Branch Block Injections
These injections treat facet joint pain that may lead to shoulder pain, headaches related to neck joints, and neck pain. A local anesthetic is delivered close to the medial branch nerves to block pain signals to the brain. This procedure can provide long-term relief and predict the success of further treatments like radiofrequency ablations.
Cervical Epidural Injections
These injections offer temporary relief from chronic neck pain resulting from inflammation and irritation of spinal nerve roots. Causes include cervical spinal stenosis, degenerative disk disease, herniated disks, and osteoarthritis. The procedure involves injecting anti-inflammatory medication into the epidural space of the neck.
Thoracic Facet Joint Injections
Facet joints are tiny joints between the vertebral bones along the spine, including the upper back (thorax). Arthritis, mechanical stress, and injury can affect these joints, causing chronic pain in the chest, mid-back, and sometimes arms. Thoracic facet joint injections relieve pain by introducing a mixture of local anesthesia and corticosteroids.
Thoracic Epidural Injections
These shots provide temporary relief allowing patients to engage in physical therapy and, in some cases, avoid surgery. The medication treats pain in the thoracic region (middle to upper part) of the back by being delivered into the epidural space. This procedure helps treat pain associated with spinal stenosis, thoracic post-surgical spine syndrome, and disc herniation that causes arm and back pain.
Lumbar Facet Joint Injections
Lumbar facet joints enable rotation in the lower back. Arthritis and facet arthropathy are typical causes of pain in these joints. These injections, also called lumbar facet joint blocks, involve administering a numbing medication into the affected tiny joints near the vertebral bones close to the spine. The number of injections needed varies based on the joints affected.
Lumbar Transforaminal Epidural Injections
Lower back pain aggravated by bending might indicate dural or lumbar disc inflammation. If the pain extends to the legs, it could point to inflamed nerve roots.
This procedure involves injecting steroids into the epidural space of the lower back. The injection is performed on the side where the nerve exits the spine to deliver the medication close to the inflammation.
Sacroiliac Joint Injections
The sacroiliac joint links the pelvis to the spine. There are two sacroiliac joints, one on either side. Pain from these joints can affect the hip, buttock, or lower back.
This injection eases pain by delivering medication directly into the joint and can also aid in diagnosing the source of back pain.
Spine Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections
Unlike the other procedures, PRP injections do not use conventional medication. Instead, they introduce a concentrated dose of platelets and plasma to decrease inflammation and enhance healing. The platelets are drawn from the patient’s own blood, making PRP injections safer for ongoing use with fewer side effects and risks than steroids.
Joint Injections
Joint Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections
These injections use the patient’s blood to accelerate healing of the affected joints by delivering a higher concentration of growth factors in platelet-rich plasma. Clinicians obtain platelet-rich plasma from a patient’s blood sample using a centrifuge and then inject it into the injured tendon or joint. This procedure aids in healing and provides pain relief for joint injuries, with results typically seen within weeks. These injections are considered safer than corticosteroids.
Joint Steroid Injections
If you experience chronic joint pain due to inflammation, a steroid shot could benefit you. These injections contain a numbing agent and a corticosteroid. When injected directly into the affected area, they reduce inflammation and provide pain relief for days, months, or even years. Types of joint pain treated with these injections include degeneration, injury, and arthritis. Common injection sites are the knee, shoulder, hip, sacroiliac, and facet joints.
Experience Effective Pain Relief Today
Chronic pain can severely impact your quality of life. If you are tired of ineffective pain relief methods, consider High Point medical injections. Call 704-412-3045 to speak with our knowledgeable pain relief experts or schedule an appointment at Apex Orthopaedics Spine & Neurology. Every sentence above is crafted to ensure it provides value, with no fluff. Each statement is concise, actionable, and focused on enlightening the reader about Apex Orthopaedics Spine & Neurology’s capabilities for effectively managing pain through medical injections.
