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Anesthetic or corticosteroid injections for low back pain
Trigger point injections. Sometimes, putting pressure on a certain spot in the back (called a trigger point) can cause pain at that spot or extending to another area of the body, such as the hip or leg. To try to relieve pain, a local anesthetic, either alone or combined with a corticosteroid, is injected into the area of the back that triggers pain (trigger point injection).
Facet joint injections. A local anesthetic or corticosteroid is injected into a facet joint, which is one of the points where one vertebra connects to another.
Epidural injections. A corticosteroid is injected into the
spinal canal
where it bathes the sheath that surrounds the spinal cord and
nerve roots.
These injections can be done by an orthopedist, an anesthesiologist, a neurologist, a physiatrist, a pain management specialist, or a rheumatologist.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: February 3, 2010 |
| Medical Review: | William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine Robert B. Keller, MD - Orthopedics | |
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