Spinal and Peripheral Joint Injections

Peripheral intra-articular injections, commonly known as joint injections, have been effectively used for decades to manage chronic joint pain. These injections can serve both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. While diagnostic injections help identify pain-generating structures, therapeutic injections provide relief by reducing inflammation and pain within the affected joint. Patients often experience months of relief following these procedures.

Peripheral joint injections are usually done in the out- patient clinic with the guidance of anatomical landmarks. Advances in medical technology now enable healthcare providers to utilize ultrasound/fluoroscopy guidance for accurate needle placement. This guarantees that the medication is administered correctly into the joint space, achieving its full potential while minimizing the chance of improper needle placement.

What Peripheral Joints Can Be Injected?

There are a wide range of joints in the body that can commonly be treated with injections. These include: 

• Knee Joints: As the largest joints in the body, knees are subject to all arthritic conditions such as osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. As the knee joint is a fairly superficial joint, it is easily accessible for injection. 
• Shoulder Joints: The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body. Due to its complex anatomy and various surrounding muscles, tendons, and ligaments; targeted injections are usually used for chronic pain and inflammation management.
• Hip Joints: The hip is a deep ball-and-socket joint that can be the source of chronic pain from conditions such as arthritis or injury. Because of its deeper location, fluoroscopy guidance is incredibly helpful in placing the needle correctly while avoiding damage to critical tissue.

Spine Injections

Back pain is a leading global medical condition and a common reason for absence from work. To counteract the commonality of the problem, image-guided spinal injections have evolved as a routine pain management intervention.

Fluoroscopy, a specialized radiologic imaging modality, is usually employed when performing spinal injections. It involves placing the patient over a special table that allows xrays. Sterilization of the injection site and application of a local anesthetic to numb skin and deeper tissue are performed for the procedure. The fluoroscope is then placed to direct the needle to the target location; either the epidural space, facet joint, or sacroiliac joint. When the proper position is verified with a contrast medication; the doctor injects the medication. The needle is removed, and a tiny bandage is placed over the injection site.

What Are the Common Types of Spinal Injections?

The following spinal injections are available to treat back-pain, neck pain or associated arm/leg pain due to nerve compression.

Epidural Steroid Injection (ESI): This procedure involves injecting an anesthetic and an anti-inflammatory steroid into the epidural space, which affects inflamed or compressed spinal nerves. ESIs are especially helpful for herniated discs and spinal stenosis. They are able to make patients cope with pain successfully and frequently decrease the necessity for surgery in the case of sciatica or radiculopathy.

• Selective Nerve Root Block (SNRB): This injection is aimed at a single nerve root that is the cause of pain. An anesthetic and steroid mixture is injected close to the affected nerve for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.
• Facet Joint Injection (FJI): The spine has small facet joints that can be a source of chronic pain. A facet joint injection involves injecting a steroid possibly with an anesthetic, directly into the joint to alleviate inflammation and pain. 
• Facet Rhizotomy (Radiofrequency Ablation): This procedure offers long-term pain relief through the use of radiofrequency energy to inactivate small sensory nerves that surround the facet joint. Research indicates that this procedure yields an average of 15 months of pain relief, and it can be repeated if the pain recurs.
• Sacroiliac Joint Injection: The sacroiliac joints link the sacrum to the ilium of the pelvis. The joints get inflamed and lead to lower back pain. A mixture of anesthetic and corticosteroid is injected into the joint during this process to ease pain.

Why Choose Marengo Asia Hospitals for Spinal and Peripheral Joint Injections?

At Marengo Asia Hospitals' Department of Orthopaedics, Joint Replacement & Spine Surgery, we provide advanced joint and spine injections as a secure, efficient, and minimally invasive treatment option for chronic pain management. Our highly skilled orthopaedic experts utilize the advanced technology to improve treatment results, providing higher accuracy, better patient safety, and increased pain relief.