Spinal Injections for Back Pain Share this page:

If you suffer from lower back pain or sciatica, you may be curious about how spinal injections can help. For many people, spinal injections have provided monumental relief that allows them to embark on a healing physical therapy journey. For others, spinal injections offer some immediate relief, but not a long-term solution.

Because everyone is different, it’s important to discuss whether spinal injections are right for you with your doctor. Certain people are better candidates than others, which is something your doctor will be able to determine. If you’re pregnant, have diabetes or a heart condition, have a bleeding disorder or suffer from allergies, talk to your doctor about any additional risks and benefits to spinal injection.

Beyond providing people with pain relief, spinal injections are used as a diagnostic tool. Discography uses a dye that helps your doctor look more closely at your discs to see if there are any problem areas. Other types of spinal injections - including epidural injections and selective nerve root block injections (SNRBs) - are ideal for both diagnosing pain and reducing inflammation.

The type of injection that’ll be best for your needs will depend on a host of factors like medical history, genetics, and current health status. If your doctor believes a spinal injection could provide you with relief, he or she will go over what you can expect. These injections only take a few minutes, but patients may be sore afterward so if this is the route you want to take for back pain, be sure to set aside some time to rest after the procedure.

If you would like to learn more about the different types of spinal injections or some of the top benefits, check out our blog, or come in for a consultation with Dr. Atwater and team.