Back pain is the reasonón más frequent by which patients contact a neuroólogo. This pain can occur acutely, crósingle or can be long term, but in any case requires urgent treatment. The main therapeutic measureécure for back pain is injectionón epidural.
“Injections for back pain helpán to forget about discomfort for a long time and returnán the patient to his usual way of life”
These spinal injections are prescribed for two propósites. First, to determine the cause of back pain, Leg, neck or shoulder (injectionón of diagnosisóstico). In second place, injections in the spine are used to treat pain (injectionón appliedéutica).
Index
Injection objectivesón epidural
The functionóThe primary purpose of epidural injections is to relieve acute pain and treat inflamed tissues., but they do not accelerate healingóThey do not prevent future problems. These are some of the objectives mácommon methods for injection therapyón epidural:
Invade the epidural space. Epidural injections target the áarea around the méspinal game, because it's ahí where the raínerve cells leave and spread to other parts of the body. The points close to this áarea can be the source of low back pain, like thereática.
Inflammations of tendons and bags. Cortisone injections are used to treat tendonitis, whose origin is inflammationón of a tendón that connects the múbone with bone. Steroid injections tooéThey can not be used to soothe bursitis or inflamed bursa (Friction-reducing fabric padsón among the múscules and tendons).
Inflammationón in joints. Cortisone is sometimes injected into a joint.ón to calm inflammationón related to the arthritis. Common targets are the facet joints of the spine and knees.
Types of injections for back pain
exist 3 forms of analgesiaésymptoms to reduce back pain. They are mentioned belowón:
- Locking of the raínervous stop
- injectionón epidural
- discographía
The type of injectionón depends on the site of the disease, he isñof that dayíz nerve or the focus of inflammationón. The métreating doctor studies pathologyía of the musculoskeletal systemético and select the medication. If the patient has constant back pain, injections are combined with drug therapyógica.
All of them seek eliminationón of sípain syndrome. The médoctor may prescribe a therapeutic blockémedication use: introduce itón of anestéphysical and/or anti-inflammatory in the ábad yesñO. In this article we dedicate special attention toón to the injectionón epidural.
The biggestíSome of these spinal injections are administered as part of a medical treatment program.ás complex. To complete, includes an exercise program that improves or supports spinal mobility (stretching exercises) and its stability (strengthening exercises).
Benefits of epidural injections
Epidural Steroid Injections supply medications directly (or very close) to the source that generates the pain. By contrast, oral steroids and analgesicséPhysical effects have a dispersed and less concentrated impact and may have unacceptable side effects..
Además, since the great majoríMost of the pain comes from inflammationón, I injected itóAn epidural can help control this inflammationón local and remove the protectionsínases and/or substances thatíinflammatory micas of the álocal area that can contribute to and exacerbate pain.
Advantages of injectionón epidural over other méall
The efficiency of this treatment is well known. The biggestía of patients return rágo to work and your daily activities, significantly improving your quality of life. The advantages of epidural injections over other méall are:
- The medication directly affects the linkón of the chain of pain: an analog effectésico good and ráI ask.
- The active ingredient goes directly to the point of pain: there is a low probability of developing side effects from drugs.
- Además to relieve pain, reduce tensionón muscular, vascular spasm, the reactionón inflammatory and edema in the áaffected area, that is to say, not only relieve pain, but alsoén actúabout the causes of its development.
¿CuáThis is the procedure to give the injectionón epidural?
Since the injectionón is carried out in the áspinal column area, the procedure should be performed only by a neuróhighly qualified logo in a treatment room iséspecially equipped rail.
Sometimes, spinal injections are done under x-ray control during a procedure called fluoroscopy. The goal of this procedure is to confirm the injection site.ón correct and increases security. in the majoría of the cases, if you manage an agent líquido (contrast agent) before the administrationóno. of the medicine.
If the contrast doesn't get to the right place, the neurólogo must change positionón from the needle and introduce another dose of contrast, until the right place is found. The medication is not administered until the location is found.ón desired using the contrast medium.
For diagnostic purposesóstico, an injection can be doneón in the spinal column in a specific nerveíto determine if it is a source of pain. Sometimes only an anesthetic is givenéphysical. The immediate response to the injectionón is closely monitored.
If the pain goes away completely or almost completely, so this nerve is the main source of pain. If the relief is less, means there is another source of pain.
Side effects of an epidural
We have already made it clear that epidural injections have a therapeutic effect.éoperational use. This técone eliminates pain and deactivates nerve impulses. Nevertheless, in some cases, side effects develop. Among them, one or more of the following are observedíntomas:
- Náuseas y vómyths
- Drowsiness and breathingón slow.
- Headache, fever or feeling sick
- Bleeding or development of an infectious process
- Reactionón aléharsh on the skin
- Presión arterial baja
But do not worry, Steroid or cortisone injections are generally very safe and míminimally invasive. The cases where side effects occur are few. If complications occur, They are generally minor and disappear on their own.í solas.
Contraindications
In some patients, I injected itón epidural está contraindicated. These contraindications include:
- infectionón of the skin at the injection siteón
- Coagulation disordersón
- Hypertensionón or uncontrolled diabetes
- Allergies to contrast medium, anestédrugs or steroids
