Sciatica and low back pain are pathologies that occur very frequently and, although sometimes they improve by resorting to conservative treatment, on many other occasions it is necessary to resort to a lumbar infiltration to finish improving.
Index
What is a lumbar infiltration?
A lumbar infiltration is an injection that includes a therapeutic substance into a tissue or anatomical region. Depending on the origin of the pain that caused it, there are different types of infiltrations that can be carried out.
What is a lumbar infiltration for??
When talking about a lumbar infiltration It must be taken into account that the diagnosis of a lumbar spine is complex., with different anatomical structures that are likely to cause pain. on many occasions, Even carrying out imaging tests, it is not possible to determine the exact cause and origin of the pain..
For this reason, on different occasions it is decided to carry out a lumbar infiltration selective to be able to proceed to the successive blockade of the different points that can cause pain. In this way, you can end up finding the place where that pain originates, and, Thus, proceed to carry out the appropriate treatment.
Regarding the treatment, keep in mind that when a lumbar infiltration is done introducing medication can improve the symptoms; and in this case the medication that is used in most of the occasions is the corticosteroid. These reduce both pain and inflammation.
There are also other substances that can be used in lumbar infiltrations, as is the case with growth factors, ozone, or botulinum toxin, among others.
Side effects of a lumbar infiltration
Among the side effects that we find when we undergo a lumbar infiltration we have to highlight the following:
Bleeding
When the needle is inserted to perform the infiltration, a blood vessel can be injured.. In general, as much, small bruises usually occur, although it must be taken into account that it is necessary to refrain from making a lumbar infiltration in anticoagulated patients, as they have a higher risk of bleeding.
Allergic reactions
Allergic reactions to corticosteroids are rare. When growth factors or stem cells are used, being substances obtained from the patient, these reactions cannot be caused.
inflammatory reactions
When proceeding to a lumbar infiltration in an inappropriate place, inflammatory reactions can occur, as well as having mild pain where the needle was inserted.
Side effects of corticosteroids
Corticosteroids are used in the vast majority of infiltrations. These can cause hypertension, It can also produce an increase in blood glucose and special care must be taken with diabetic patients..
What's more, keep in mind that they cannot be used chronically, since in case of abusing the infiltrations they can cause wear and tear on the tissues.
Types of lumbar injections
If we talk about one lumbar infiltration, we can find that there are different types of them, being able to find the following:
trigger point infiltration
a trigger point is a chronic muscle contracture. When a infiltration lumbar in a trigger point is sought to cause muscle spasms to try to get rid of the contracture. Puncturing the muscle but not using any medication is called dry needling..
Trigger point infiltration is routinely performed with corticosteroids or local anesthetic. What's more, You can also use the use of toxin botulinum, which inhibits muscle contraction. They are effective in the short term.
epidural infiltration
The lumbar epidural infiltration consists of introducing a corticosteroid into the medullary canal, being the most used in pain units. It is especially useful in cases of canal stenosis or disc herniation..
If x-rays are not used to perform this type of lumbar infiltration there is a risk that the needle will not be inserted in the right place. For this reason, it is usually performed in the operating room despite being an outpatient procedure..
Caudal epidural infiltration
Anterolisthesis is a disorder that occurs in the spine and is characterized by the dislocation of at least one of the vertebrae in relation to another lumbar infiltration it is carried out proceeding to the introduction of the needle in the epidural space through the final part of the sacrum. It is used when access to it through the lower back presents difficulties. As in the previous case, It is also necessary to use an X-ray device in order to know the place where the needle should be inserted.. In this way, it is avoided that problems related to it can be suffered..
lumbar facet infiltration
The facet joints are the posterior joints of the vertebrae.. Facet joint pain is lower back pain that is worse in the morning, but as the muscles warm up, the pain itself decreases.
A facet block can be performed by proceeding to perform a lumbar infiltration with anesthetic and corticosteroid at the level of the nerve that produces sensitivity in the joint, or to proceed with its introduction in other facets.
In addition to corticosteroid, Lately, growth factors or stem cells are being introduced that pursue the objective of trying to cause the regeneration of the cartilage of the joint., achieving excellent results.
lumbar sacroiliac infiltration
The sacroiliac joint It is the joint that connects the spine to the pelvis., being a load-bearing joint that has no movement except in those cases in which it has some type of injury.
For the sacroiliac joint, the lumbar infiltration It can also be done with an X-ray machine or an ultrasound scanner.. This type of infiltration is used to confirm that this is the cause of the pain.; and in this way to be able to resort to the use of techniques such as radiofrequency or minimally invasive sacroiliac fusion.
The lumbar infiltration is a great alternative, being something intermediate between conserving treatment and surgical interventions.