Nerve Root Injections
What is a nerve root injection?
At each level of the lumbar spine a nerve root passes out to supply the legs with sensation and muscle power. The nerve root can become irritated or compressed causing pain, loss of sensation or weakness in the legs. A nerve root injection will inject a steroid into that irritated nerve to help reduce inflammation, which in turn will help relieve any pain or other symptoms.
What exactly is being injected?
The injection consists of a mixture of local anesthetic (like lidocaine or bupivacaine) and the steroid medication. Also small quantity of dye (which can be seen on the xray images) is used to confirm that the injection is around the nerve root.
What is the purpose of the injection and how will it help my pain?
The Cortisone that is injected is used to reduce any swelling or inflammation of the nerve. By reducing inflammation and swelling, this will in return help reduce pain and any other symptoms that were caused by the inflammation to the nerve and the surrounding areas.
How is this injection performed?
You will be lying on your front for the procedure. Local anaesthetic is injected to numb the skin and a fine needle is passed toward the ligaments of the back under
x-ray guidance. Once the needle is confirmed to be close to the nerve, the injection takes place.
How long does the injection take?
The injection procedure usually take 10-20 minutes.
Will I be “put under” during the procedure?
No, you will not be “put under”. You will be given a local anesthesia or sometimes a pill given by mouth. The pill is sedating and will make the procedure easy to tolerate.
What should I expect after the injection?
You should take things easy for the next couple of days, and DO NOT do any excessive exercise or heavy work for the next few days. DO NOT DRIVE YOURSELF HOME, please arrange a ride to take you home after your appointment. You will want to remove the dressing the next day and continue to take your pain medication until you feel improvement.
Contact our office to ask any more questions about Nerve Root Injections. We would be happy to help walk you through the procedure and help you understand how everything works. Call us today at (443) 725-4930!