For certain types of neck or arm pain, your doctor may suggest a cervical epidural injection. During this procedure, medicine (such as numbing medicine or a steroid) is injected deep into your neck into your spinal canal or near the nerve root as it exits your spine. The injection helps the doctor find the source of your pain. It can also help ease your pain and soreness, either temporarily or more permanently. In rare cases, it can cause serious complications. What are cervical vertebrae? The cervical vertebrae are the bones that support your neck and head.

Back or neck pain may be caused by a problem with your facet joints. If so, a facet joint injection may help. With this treatment, medicine is injected into certain facet joints. The injection can help your healthcare provider find problem joints. It may also ease your pain. What is a facet joint? Bones called vertebrae make up your spine. Each vertebra has flat surfaces (facets) that touch where the vertebrae fit together. These form a structure called a facet joint on each side of the vertebrae. What is a facet joint injection?

A lumbar epidural injection, which contains a numbing medicine and a steroid, won’t stop all low back and leg pain for everyone. But it can reduce pain and break the pain cycle for many patients. This cycle may begin when back pain makes it hard to move. Lack of movement can then slow down the healing process. By getting you back on your feet, the injection can help speed your recovery. Some people may feel more relief from an injection than others, and some people may need more than one injection to get relief. Usually, no more than four injections are done in a 12-month period.

Back or neck pain may be due to pain coming from the facet joints in your spine. If so, medial branch nerve blocks and radiofrequency ablation of the medial branch nerves may be an option to help relieve your pain. The medial branch nerve block is a diagnostic procedure to assess whether the radiofrequency ablation of the medial branch nerve has a chance to provide longer lasting pain relief. What are medial branch nerves? Each vertebra in your spine has facets (flat surfaces). They touch where the vertebrae fit together. This forms a facet joint.

How can a comprehensive multidisciplinary pain center help relieve my pain? Expand Content Multidisciplinary pain management focuses on a nonsurgical, nonopioid, comprehensive approach to diagnosing, treating and controlling pain. It uses a multipronged and individualized treatment plan to coordinate safe and effective options that can address the physical, emotional, social and psychological aspects of pain. We take a balanced approach to pain management at Inova Comprehensive Pain Centers.

Specialized, Customized Care for Your Pain Needs It can be difficult to diagnose and quantify pain. Because it is difficult, many times primary and family care providers, medical specialists, and surgeons refer patients to us to help address and treat acute or chronic pain. The practitioners at Inova Comprehensive Pain Centers are experienced in the evaluation and testing necessary to make an accurate diagnosis for chronic and acute pain conditions. Greg David Fischer, MD Director, Pain Program, Inova Health System Medical Director, Inova Comprehensive Pain Centers Dr.

Preparing for Your Appointment A referral is not required. If you do have a referral, please bring it with you along with a copy of your medical records, including testing. If available, please bring MRI CDs ahead of time to be uploaded into our electronic medical record system or bring them with you to your visit. Records can be faxed to 703-207-4308. What should I bring to my first appointment?