Tip 7: Injection Therapies

What is a Pain Management Doctor?

• A physician who is devoted to evaluating and treating pain conditions
• Board-certified pain management physicians have additional training and expertise in the field of neurological, orthopedic, connective-tissue, spinal, and other pain conditions

What is injection therapy?

• Injection of local anesthetic and/or corticosteroid into a joint, muscle tissue, or spinal region to reduce irritation and inflammation and reduce pain

Who benefits from injection therapy?

• People whose pain has not responded satisfactorily to medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or pain medicines, or to physical therapy
• People whose activity tolerance and social interaction is decreased because of pain
  People who are not sleeping or resting well due to pain
• Some conditions that can be managed by injections are:
  • Cervical or Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
  • Degenerative Disk Disease, Arthritis or Bursitis, Sciatica
  • Neuropathy

How can neighbors and family help?

• Do not ignore back or neck pain.
• Notify the nurse, your primary care physician, or the facility physician if you notice that you do not tolerate activity due to pain.
• Report loss of sleep or rest related to pain.
• Give a complete report which includes:
  • What makes the pain better or worse?  (Standing, sitting, walking, rest, heat, cold, sneezing, coughing, bowel movement, etc.)
  • What does the pain feel like?  (Ache, dull, pressure, cramp, burning, numbness, tingling, sharp, shooting, electrical, hot, cold, twisting, etc.)
  • Does the pain radiate?  (To the arm or hand, to the shoulder, to the knee, below the knee, to the feet, to the groin, etc.)
  • What is the severity or intensity of the symptoms?  (Mild, moderate, severe; on a scale from 0 [no pain] to 10 [painful].  How do you rank your pain most of the time, and what is the highest level that you experience?)
  • How often does the pain occur and how long does it last?  (Worse in the morning, worse at night,  continuous or intermittent, lasts for a few minutes, lasts for several hours.)