A treatment of steroid medcine and a numbing agent (anesthetic) injected on a specific nerve.

Commonly done in the neck or low back for spine, arm, and/or leg pain.

The purpose is to decrease the inflammation (swelling) around a nerve, decrease pain, and increase mobility.

Diagnostic: The spine is very complicated, with many possible pain generators. Injections are used to confirm that the pain is coming from the suspected location.

Therapeutic: Pain relief duration from injections vary, but they can be permanent as the steroid decreases the swelling around the nerve.

The goal is to decrease the pain by 50%.

Research shows a significant variation in length of effectiveness based on severity of disease.

Based on literature, a reasonable estimate is about 50% of people find relief for <6 weeks, and 50% of people find relief for >6 weeks.