When looking for back pain relief, the search for the solution can often be as frustrating as the pain itself (okay, that may be an exaggeration – but pretty close!) If somebody told you that relief could be as easy as getting an injection, you probably wouldn’t believe them. But… it kind of is. Of course, everybody is different. Some patients do find immense relief from the various types of back injections. In the world of injections for back pain relief, each mode varies in how it is used and what it is used for. Therefore, it’s important to speak with your doctor and research yourself about the best injection for the type of back pain you are experiencing. Find below a general guideline for the different types of injections for back pain relief.

Types of Injections for Back Pain Relief

Trigger Point

Largely useful in the treatment of painful muscles or knots in muscles, trigger point injections work by injecting medication into one of the many trigger points located in muscles throughout the body. These injections can provide pain relief for both localized pain in the area as well as referred pain from the trigger points.

Nerve Root

This type of injection is functional in both the diagnosis and treatment of nerve pain. By essentially numbing the nerve root, a doctor can determine if that specific nerve is causing the pain that the patient is experiencing. If the doctor determines that it is, then further nerve root injections can provide pain relief to the area.

Sacroiliac Joint

The sacroiliac (SI) joint can be responsible for pain branching anywhere from the buttock down through the legs. This pain can be rather troublesome as it prevents comfortable sitting, standing, and moving. Through this injection, medication is injected into the SI joint to provide pain relief for the area of interest.

Facet Joint

The facet joints in your back are the joints that allow you to bend your spine. Important, no? When these become inflamed, the resulting pain can be unbearable. Facet joint injections target these joints to provide pain relief in the neck and other areas of the spine with facet joint inflammation.

Nerve Blocks

Like nerve root injections, nerve blocks can help with both the diagnosis and treatment of nerve pain. When a patient is experiencing pain that the doctor suspects may be coming from a nerve, they can administer the nerve block. If the block successfully reduces the pain, the diagnosis becomes clearer, and thus, so does the treatment. Some examples of nerve blocks include the peripheral nerve block, the sympathetic nerve block, and the spinal nerve block.

Epidural Steroid

This injection may sound familiar, as it is the injection most popular for women in childbirth. The reason it is so popular for this use is because of its effectiveness with pain relief (because, of course, childbirth is painful.) An epidural can be given in the lumbar, cervical, or transforaminal regions. They work by delivering corticosteroids to the dura of the spinal cord. This serves to numb and relieve pain in the localized and referred regions.

At Capitol Pain, we know back pain and we know back pain relief. That’s why we work tirelessly to help customize a treatment plan for our patient’s pain. We understand that every patient and every pain is different, which is why we offer so many different types of treatment options with our certified specialists. Injections for back pain relief can be a wonderful and effective option for keeping troublesome pain at bay. Make an appointment today!