When Is It Appropriate To Use An Injection For Low Back Pain
This is something that I bet you didn’t think a Chiropractor would advocate, right? Well just to be clear I’m not for spinal injections but there is a time and a place for them, and I will explain why.
What is a spinal injection?
A spine injection, also known as an epidural injection, is where a needle is inserted into the spine and a combination of a steroid and local anaesthetic are used to relieve pain, inflammation, and other symptoms associated with conditions such as a herniated disc, sciatica, spinal stenosis, and others.
The area in the spine where it is injected is in the epidural space.
What is the difference between an epidural at childbirth and an epidural for low back pain?
An epidural at childbirth is a regional anaesthesia injection given during labour to numb the pain in the lower half of the body. It is a pain relief technique that allows the mother to relax and rest during childbirth. The epidural is injected into the space around the spinal cord by an anaesthetist, and it can last from a few hours to several days.
The main difference is the epidural for a mother in childbirth isn’t designed to last for months or even years, therefore there isn’t any corticosteroid in the medication. It is anaesthesia and it is usually injected further up the lumbar spine to block the nerves going to the legs whereas a epidural for back pain can go anywhere in the spine.
Why Do I Not Think An Injection Is The First Port Of Call?
The reason is that there is usually a herniated disc with pressure on it. When you perform an injection, it will numb the pain and the client goes back to doing their normal day to day without the pain as a warning signal.
What then happens is a soon as the injection wears off, they are in the same position if not worse as the problem has deteriorated and then they could be a candidate for spinal surgery which we want to avoid.
An injection can be suitable if you are in serious amounts of pain and unable to move, they help you to get moving and live life again. Just be aware that if you choose this route, you should be trying to address the root cause of the issue otherwise it continues to come back.
If you do know someone who wants more advice, please send them our details. You can send them this blog and they can request a free copy of our book which has posture related exercises in it as well. Click here for FREE book.
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