Sciatica or other intense pain in the arm, neck, lower back and down into the legs might be treated with an epidural steroid injection in conjunction with other treatments. This injection can often provide quick pain relief by reducing the swelling or inflammation of the nerve roots as they leave the spine. If the pain is fully treated with the injection, no additional injections are needed.
Major Joint Injection
Mild or severe pain in large joints such as the shoulder, knee, and elbow are often treated with a major joint steroid injection. If a joint injection is determined as the treatment option, PCA may use an ultrasound or fluoroscopy for guidance while injecting the steroid directly into the joint. Pain relief is often very fast with a major joint injection and exercises or physical therapy can help keep the joint pain free.
Facet Joint Injection
The facet joints are in your back and provide stability and also allow you to bend and twist. Facet joints can become painful often due to injury or arthritis, yet a steroid injection directly into the facet joint can reduce the back pain and inflammation you may have. This treatment is an outpatient procedure done in the PCA office and pain is often decreased within two days to two weeks after the injection. It is possible to have up to three facet joint injections in one year.
Sacroiliac Joint Injection
The joints where your lower spine connects to your pelvis can become inflamed, causing pain in your buttocks, lower back and extending down one or both legs. One treatment option we can discuss is a therapeutic injection into the joint which can provide pain relief for several months. This injection may be used in conjunction with other treatment options such as physical therapy or oral medications.
Trigger Point Injection
When pain is not in a joint but rather in a muscle that has “knotted up” and will not relax, a trigger point injection may be used as a treatment option. Trigger point injections direct small amounts of a steroid and anesthetic directly into the trigger point to help ease the pain. This treatment can be used in muscles in the arms, legs, lower, back and neck and may also be considered for fibromyalgia and tension headaches.
Piriformis Point Injection
Pain in the hip or buttock region may be due to the tightness in the piriformis muscle, located behind the hip joint and over the buttocks. The piriformis muscle is responsible for turning the leg and foot outward by rotating the hip joint. Tightness in this muscle can affect the sciatic nerve, which causes pain to extend down the leg. A piriformis injection of a steroid directly into the muscle helps to relieve the pain and can be used in conjunction with physical therapy.
