What are spinal injections used for?

Top Doctors recently had the chance to talk to esteemed consultant in pain management and anaesthesia, Dr Rajiv Malhotra, who, here in this article below, provides us with an all-we-need-to-know guide with regards to spinal injections.

What are spinal injections?

Spinal injections are injections in and around the spine, with the aim to provide relief from pain and promote movement and exercise. The injections often contain local anaesthetic with steroids. Most of the spinal injections that I perform are done under XRAY guidance to ensure accurate placement of the injected medication.

What are spinal injections used for?

Spinal injections are useful for patients who have arthritis of the spine or trapped nerves within the spine. These are very common in patients who have been suffering with back pain or pain travelling down the leg.

How do spinal injections work?

The local anaesthetic can numb areas of pain in muscles or ligaments for a period of time, helping mobility. The steroid component can reduce inflammation in an area, reducing pain and stiffness. 

What are the different types of spinal injections?

There are two main areas that I target - the 'scaffolding' around the spine (muscles, ligaments, joints) and then the spinal nerves themselves. Patients with trapped nerves respond well to steroid injections whereas targeted local anaesthetic injections can identify patients with arthritis who would benefit from 'burning of the nerves' (radiofrequency ablation). This 'burning of the nerves' procedure can provide pain relief for up to one year.

What are the risks of spinal injections?

There are risks with spinal injections but serious risks are not common. In my experience, the most common problem is a flare up of pain after the procedure that normally lasts for 24 hours.

How long do spinal injections last?

It is important to know that spinal injections do not cure pain but can help reduce it. The injections may not work or may only work for a few days or weeks. I perform a specialist procedure called radiofrequency ablation ('burning the nerves') and this can provide good back pain relief for up to one year.

How will I know if spinal injections right for me?

I work with each patient to decide on the best treatment plan for them, and sometimes this does involve injections. I will let you know how I perform them, and I’ll tell you about the risks and the benefits I think you'll likely get. We'll take our time going through the consent process to check that you are happy and I'll answer all your questions. I aim to perform the injection within four weeks.

To schedule in an appointment today with Dr Rajiv Malhotra, simply head on over to his Top Doctors profile.