Overview

Nerve root and facet joint injections are types of steroid injections. They’re used to treat pain in your neck or back. They also treat any pain in your arms or legs that comes from your spine.

Nerve root injections target the nerves coming from your spine.

Facet joint injections target the area around a joint in your spine.

The injection is a mixture of:

• a local anaesthetic that numbs the area, like an injection you might get at the dentist
• a steroid that reduces swelling in the nerve or joint

We use a CT scan to guide the injection to the precise area that is causing the pain.

Benefits of a CT-guided steroid injection

Steroid injections help to relieve pain.

They also help us to diagnose your pain. Comparing your symptoms before and after the injection helps your doctor find out what’s causing your pain. Based on this, we can give you recommendations for how to manage the pain better in the future.

Everyone responds to steroid injections differently. It can take between 2 and 14 days for steroid injections to work. Some people feel pain relief quickly. For others, it might take more time.

Some people might not feel any benefit at all. Others feel their symptoms get much better.

About 3 out of 4 people feel less pain after having a nerve root or facet joint injection.

Risks of a CT-guided steroid injection

This is a common and safe procedure. But like all procedures, nerve root and facet joint injections have some risks.

CT scans use radiation, like X-rays. The level of radiation used is kept as low as possible.

Side effects of getting an injection

The most common side effect is temporary discomfort and numbness in the area you had the injection.

Other risks include:

• getting an infection
• your symptoms getting worse
• bleeding

1 in 10 patients having a nerve root injection in their lower back get temporary weakness in their leg. This usually goes away after a few hours.

Side effects of steroids

You’ll get 1 dose of steroids during this procedure. Most people do not get any side effects caused by steroids after a single dose.

No sedation or general anaesthetic

We do not offer sedation or general anaesthetic for this procedure.

If you do not think you can do this procedure while you’re fully awake, please talk to the doctor who referred you. They might be able to refer you for a different treatment.