Frequently Asked Questions

Answer: Interventional spinal procedures are minimally invasive injection techniques performed with needles to relieve pain caused by degenerative changes in or near the neck and back.
Most spinal procedures are performed with you positioned on your stomach. You may experience a brief prick and some temporary burning that usually lasts only a few seconds while the skin over the injection site is being numbed.
Fluoroscopy (low-dose x-ray) is then used to guide needle placement onto specific locations in your spine. Some procedures require the placement of only one needle while others require the use of multiple needles. Medications (usually a combination of steroid and numbing medication) are then deposited in an effort to decrease pain, inflammation, and swelling that often results from arthritis, herniated disks, pinched nerves, and/or compression of the spinal cord. The injections will likely help to relieve your pain but will not reverse the degenerative changes in your spine.

Answer: If you are going to be sedated or having an anesthetic, other than your regular medications with sips of water you should not eat for 6 (six) hours, or drink other than sips of water for 4 (four) hours prior to the procedure. Diabetic patients should consult their primary care physician to see if they need to adjust their diabetes medications prior to injections.

Answer: Medications that thin the blood must be temporarily discontinued prior to each spinal procedure because they can cause internal bleeding and serious complications. Do not stop these medications without permission and specific instructions from our nursing staff, in conjunction with scheduling your procedure. Blood-thinning medications should be temporarily stopped only with written authorization from the outside physician who prescribed them. Injections will not be performed without authorization to stop blood thinning medications. Baby aspirin (81 mg) taken once daily does not have to be stopped before injections.
Blood thinning medications should be stopped before each procedure for the appropriate length of time as follows:

• Coumadin (warfarin): 5 days
• Plavix (clopidogrel): 7 days
• Pletal, Trental, Aggrenox: 5 days
• Ticlid (ticlopidine):14 days
• Aspirin (325 mg): Must be decreased to 81 mg daily for 10 days
• Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS): 48 hours

We perform on-site fingerstick INR testing immediately prior to the procedure, to make sure your blood is clotting adequately. Your injection will be cancelled if this test shows that your blood is still too thin.
All blood-thinning medications should be restarted on the day after each procedure. You may continue taking your other medications that do not thin the blood with a small sip of water prior to procedures.

Answer: Yes, although you may be sedated or offered an anesthetic if you wish. Communication between you and our staff ensures that the procedure is performed in the safest manner possible.

Answer: Steroids decrease pain by reducing inflammation and swelling of the joints, muscles, nerves, and spinal cord.