Spinal injections and pain procedures

Types of injection

• Nerve root block: around a single pinched nerve, for sciatica or arm pain
• Epidural injection: into the space around the nerves, for stenosis or a disc bulge
• Facet joint injection: into the small joints at the back of the spine, for certain kinds of back or neck pain
• Sacroiliac joint injection: for pain from the joint between the spine and pelvis

Benefits and limits

Injections treat pain and inflammation. They do not remove a disc bulge or widen a narrow canal, so the effect varies from person to person. Risks are uncommon and include infection, bleeding, a temporary rise in blood sugar and, rarely, nerve injury.