Studies show that people in the United States spend at least $50 billion each year on treatments for their back pain. Back pain can be debilitating, but it can be difficult to find a treatment that works for your specific needs.
Rather than wasting money on back pain treatments that don’t work, it is best to research the different methods available. One common treatment is back pain injections.
Do you want to learn more about the pros and cons of steroid injections for back pain? Keep reading this article to get help making an informed decision about your back pain treatment.
Pros of Back Pain Injections
There are many reasons why you should consider getting back pain injections to help with pain relief. Learning about these pros will help you understand how the treatment will potentially help your back pain.
Here are some of the top benefits of using the different types of steroid injections for back pain.
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Easy to Administer
One of the biggest benefits of back pain injections is that they are easy to administer. When it comes to back pain, there are many treatments and many of these can be quite invasive.
Even if these invasive treatments work, they require much more time for treatment and recovery. On the other hand, these injections can be done quickly in a single appointment.
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Few Side Effects
Something else to consider when it comes to back pain treatments are the side effects. If you choose a more invasive treatment option, you will likely face a long road to recovery.
However, these steroid injections for back pain have very few side effects. They are quite effective and don’t require much downtime.
You can expect to return to normal activities within a day! You will also experience back pain relief that will allow you to do activities that you may not have been able to do before.
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Cortisone is Naturally Produced
Next, cortisone is naturally produced in your body. It is a steroid hormone created by the adrenal cortex. While cortisone shots are often administered in higher doses than what your body produces, it is still quite safe and is tolerated well by most people.
You can feel confident that cortisone will not be dangerous for your body!
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Minimal Discomfort
Another great benefit of getting steroid shots for your back pain is that they can be done with minimal discomfort. While you will feel some pressure and slight discomfort during the injection, most people tolerate them well.
Plus, having the right placement of the injection will also lower your discomfort.
The discomfort you feel during these injections will also depend on where you receive the treatment. For example, areas of your body with more nerves, like the sole of your foot, will likely hurt the most.
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Concentrated Treatment
When you get a back pain injection, it also provides a concentrated treatment. Rather than taking pain medications that may affect your entire body, steroid and cortisone injections can be placed directly where you are feeling pain.
Plus, it is a higher concentration of cortisone than you would have naturally occurring in your body. This makes it easier to treat your pain points directly.
This also makes it easy to treat many different areas. If you are experiencing pain in other areas of your back or body, you can get steroid injections to treat any of these specific areas.
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High Success Rate
Steroid injections for back pain also have a high success rate. While the degree of relief will vary between patients, many people see a significant difference in their pain after getting treatment.
The success of the treatment also depends on the placement of the injections. Many doctors will use fluoroscopic guidance and contrast to help them place the injections in the correct place.
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Improved Quality of Life
When you have chronic back pain, you likely have had to miss out on many activities throughout your life. Getting this treatment will provide you with the relief you need to improve your quality of life.
People who receive this treatment will feel a positive effect from the injection within a few days.
With less back pain, you can enjoy your daily life more fully. This can also help you improve your mental well-being.
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Many Back Pain Injection Types
There are also many different types of injections for back pain. You can learn more about each of these injections so you can find the treatment that works best for you.
One of the most common treatments is Epidural Steroid Injections. These numb spinal nerves and prevent pain signals from going to your brain.
Another common type of injection is a Nerve Block injection. These include a local anesthetic and can be used to limit and even prevent back pain.
Finally, you can consider a Radio-Frequency Ablation injection. This uses radio-frequency energy to disrupt nerves from sending pain signals to your brain.
You can talk with your doctor to find the type of back pain injection that works best for your needs.
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Reduce Other Types of Treatment
Lastly, getting a steroid injection for back pain may reduce your need for other types of treatment. Often, people with back pain will do anything they can to relieve their pain and feel comfort, even temporarily.
With steroid injections, you will get pain relief that will help you use fewer pain killers. Instead of taking anti-inflammatory medication every day, you can have lasting relief with injections for back pain.
This treatment may even be able to help you avoid surgery to treat your back pain.
Cons of Back Pain Injections
While there are many benefits of getting back pain injections, there are also some drawbacks that you need to consider. This way, you will have the knowledge to make an informed decision about your treatment options.
Here are some of the top drawbacks associated with back pain injections.
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Potential Damage With Repetitive Use
One of the biggest drawbacks of getting back pain injections is that they can cause potential damage if you use them repetitively. For example, prolonged treatment can lead to the deterioration of the skeleton.
This can increase your risk of developing osteoporosis and will lead to a higher risk of fractures due to the fragility of your bones.
Still, this will not be an issue if you don’t do a repetitive treatment.
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Benefits Vary
Another drawback of using these injections for back pain is that the benefits can vary between patients. For example, some patients feel significant relief from their back pain within a few days of their treatment.
However, others may not see any improvement or only a small and insignificant change in their back pain.
Similarly, the treatment will last different amounts of time for different patients. Some patients find that the effects of steroid injections will last for up to a year. Others will only experience an improvement in their back pain for a few days or weeks.
It can be difficult to know what to expect from your treatment until you try it.
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Potential Side Effects
While there are typically minimal side effects associated with steroid injections for back pain, there is always a chance that you will experience some of them.
Steroid injections can potentially cause issues including nerve damage and bleeding.
There are also other side effects, including high blood sugar levels, ulcers, and more. Make sure you discuss these side effects with your doctor to make sure the benefits would outweigh the potential risks of treatment.
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Cost of Treatment
Finally, it is important to consider the cost of treatment. In past years, steroid injections for back pain have become more popular. Because of this, the fees and cost of treatment have also risen.
In fact, this treatment may cost $600 per shot if your insurance doesn’t cover the cost.
If the treatment proves to be effective for you, this cost can be seen as more of an investment! However, there are alternative treatments that you may want to consider if budget is a concern.
Still, cortisone or steroid back pain injections can be much less expensive than other, more invasive treatments. Again, it is important to talk to your back pain specialist about the treatment options that fit your budget.
Learn More About the Pros and Cons of Steroid Injections for Back Pain
Back pain can be debilitating and difficult to treat. However, using back pain injections in Maryland is an easy and effective way for many patients to get relief.
Learning more about the pros and cons of steroid injections for back pain can help you make an informed decision and determine whether this treatment is a good fit.
If you are looking for back pain injection doctors, Pain & Spine Specialists can help! Contact our team to learn more about our treatment methods and to request an appointment.