Rear view of young woman suffering from neck pain
Steroid injections into the cervical spine can help with radiating neck pain. Neck pain affects people all over the world. Although it is not as common as back pain, neck pain can affect a person’s quality of life and ability to work. This comes in the form of the following:
Like back pain, neck pain can be hard to treat effectively without identifying the root cause, known as the pain generator. If natural treatments like chiropractic aren’t working, injections could be the next phase.
The most commonly used are cervical epidural steroid injections, medial branch blocks (MBBs), and facet joint injections. Learn about what they are, what they treat, and the scientific research behind their risks and benefits.
The phrase cervical epidural steroid injection:
Spine specialists use image guidance with a contrast dye called fluoroscopy, ensuring the medicine gets delivered to the proper area.
Words like epidural refer to where the needle goes. The hand enters the space through a transforaminal approach or interlaminar approach. These injections, also called nerve root blocks, are performed by entering the epidural space through the opening where the nerve roots branch out. This space is known as the intervertebral foramen.
When it is called a selective nerve root block is for cases where multiple nerve roots are being compressed, and the injection is being used for a diagnostic purpose to identify which nerve is the pain generator. The needle in an interlaminar epidural injection goes through the opening between two adjacent vertebrae.
Cervical epidural steroid injections may be appropriate for someone who has severe neck pain with:
Cervical epidural steroid injections are reserved as a second-line treatment for individuals with neck pain that does not stop for more than four weeks despite conservative treatment like physical therapy, chiropractic, or medical pain management using NSAIDs or acetaminophen.
The source of the pain is usually what determines if injections are appropriate.
With a patient’s:
If a spine specialist thinks the nerve compression was brought on by a disc herniation, spondylolisthesis, or the shifting of vertebral levels, scarring, or arthritic conditions is causing the pain, then an injection may be appropriate. If the pain comes from an infection or cancer, this treatment is unlikely to be recommended.
The effects of injections are different for everyone because of the variables:
There are no significant differences in outcomes between the transforaminal and interlaminar approaches. More than 50% will have at least a 50% improvement in their pain for around four weeks. Then some individuals experience relief for up to 6 months.
Overall, alleviation from the pain is enhanced/improved when the injections are combined with a full-on treatment plan that includes physical therapy/chiropractic and pain medications.
Common complications associated with injections are usually minor and temporary. These are:
Major complications are rare, but they can happen. These include infection, paralysis, stroke, and death. These complications are thought to occur from direct spinal cord penetration of the needle, bleeding into the spinal canal, or the medicine inadvertently getting injected into the blood vessels. However, this happens in less than 1% of individuals undergoing this treatment. Surgical groups and facilities have strict guidelines to limit these complications.
This treatment is commonly used and, when done correctly, can be a powerful tool in treating persistent, severe neck pain. Everyone is different, so if you are considering a cervical epidural spinal injection, find a qualified spine specialist or consult a chiropractor to find out if injections are necessary.