Interventional Procedures

Radiofrequency

Interventional physicians can relieve back pain and other related nerve pain through the application of radiofrequency energy to nervous tissue. Radiofrequency is a safe, proven means of treating chronic pain. Continuous radiofrequency current is used to heat a small volume of nerve tissue, thereby disrupting pain signals from that specific area. This procedure has a selective effect on nerve fibers, reducing pain in target areas, but leaving other sensory capabilities intact.

Nerve Root Blocks

An epidural is an injection that delivers medication directly into the epidural space in your spine that surrounds the spinal cord and spinal nerves. An epidural injection is used to relieve back pain, sciatica, or for diagnostic purposes—to identify the source of your pain and plan for your care. After local anesthetic administration, the radiologist uses fluoroscopic imaging to place a needle through the skin and into the area adjacent to the specific nerve root in question. A local anesthetic and steroid are then injected into the area, which bathes the nerve root and reduces or eliminates the associated pain.

Epidural Injections

An epidural is an injection that delivers medication directly into the epidural space in your spine that surrounds the spinal cord and spinal nerves. An epidural injection is used to relieve back pain, sciatica, or for diagnostic purposes—to identify the source of your pain and plan for your care. After the area is anesthetized, a radiologist will insert a different needle into the epidural space using the X-ray machine for guidance. Contrast material will be injected to check positioning. A steroid, used to reduce inflammation, is mixed with a local anesthetic and injected through the needle into the epidural space.

Facet Injections

The facet joint is the space between two vertebrae (bony) parts of the spine that are separated by a thin layer of cartilage. The radiologist will clean your skin and inject it with a local anesthetic to make it numb. After the area is anesthetized, the radiologist will insert a different needle into the area between the two vertebrae (the facet joint) using the X-ray machine for guidance. Contrast, a numbing medication, and a steroid are injected.