An epidural steroid injection is a minimally invasive and non-surgical procedure that can help to relieve neck, arm, back, and leg pain caused by inflamed nerves in the spine. Epidural steroid injections may be performed to relieve pain caused by spinal stenosis, injury, spondylolysis, disc herniation, sciatica, or degenerative disc disease. Medicines (both a long-lasting corticosteroid and an anesthetic numbing agent) are delivered to the spinal nerve through the epidural space, which is the area between the protective covering of the spinal cord and vertebrae. The effects of epidural steroid injections vary from person to person. Pain relief may last for several days or even years. The goal is to reduce pain so that you may resume normal activities and a physical rehabilitation program to strengthen your core, which plays a big role in recovery.

The physician who will perform the injection, will review your medical history and imaging studies (MRI) to plan the best approach for the injections. Feel free to ask any questions you may have at your appointments prior to the injection procedure. Our physicians are here to thoroughly treat your symptoms, educate you on your treatment, and make you feel comfortable. You, our patient, are the number one priority at Dominion Orthopaedic Clinic.

Studies have shown that use of fluoroscopy (X-ray) to guide the needle into the epidural space is more effective than when the ESI is performed without fluoroscopy. All of the procedures done by the physicians at Dominion Orthopaedic are fluoroscopically guided. The procedure usually takes 15-30 minutes and is followed by a recovery period. You will need a driver the day of your procedure.

A facet injection is a minimally invasive and non-surgical procedure that can temporarily relieve neck or back pain caused by inflamed facet joints. The cause of facet joint pain (arthritis, injury, degeneration) is not well understood and can be similar in nature to disc pain. The procedure can be used as a diagnostic test to see if the pain is actually coming from your facet joints. Secondly, the procedure can be used as a treatment to relieve pain and inflammation caused by various spine conditions. The goal of facet joint injections is to reduce pain so that you may resume normal activities and a physical rehabilitation program, which is essential to recovery and pain relief.

To understand what a Medial Branch Block procedure is, you must first know what a medial branch nerve is and the role it plays in your body. Medial branch nerves are small nerves that feed out from the facet joints in the spine and carry pain signals from the facet joints to the brain.  A medial branch nerve block is a procedure that we perform at Dominion Orthopaedic in which a local anesthetic is injected near the small medial nerves in your body that are connected to a specific facet joint.  If the patient experiences pain relief immediately after the injection, then it is often determined that the facet joint is determined to be the source of the patient’s pain.

Your Sacroiliac (SI) joints connect your pelvic bones to your spine. They are small and don’t move much, but they absorb all the forces and pressures of your upper body before balancing and transferring the weight to your hips and legs. When one or both of these joints become irritated or injured, they can cause you to have chronic discomfort and pain. Sacroiliac joint injections can accurately pinpoint and alleviate this pain you are experiencing.

Guided by fluoroscopy (x-ray), the physician injects a local anesthetic and corticosteroid medication into the affected Sacroiliac joint.This medicine reduces inflammation and provides pain relief over an extended period of time.

Feel free to ask any questions you may have at your appointments prior to this procedure. Our physicians are here to thoroughly treat your symptoms, educate you on your treatment, and make you feel comfortable. You, our patient, are the number one priority at Dominion Orthopaedic Clinic.

Radiofrequency ablation (or RFA) is a procedure used to reduce pain. RFA has proven to be a safe and effective way to treat some forms of pain.

During the procedure, an electrical current produced by a radio wave is used to heat up a small area of nerve tissue, thereby decreasing pain signals from that specific area. RFA can be used to help patients with chronic low-back and neck painand pain related to the degeneration of joints, which can be due to arthritis.

The degree of pain relief varies from patient to patient, depending on the location and cause of the pain. Pain relief from RFA can also vary from patient to patient. Studies show that more than 70% of patients treated with RFA experience pain relief.

As with any medical procedure, RFA is not recommended for everyone and this is where your doctor will asses your individual medical history, symptoms, and imaging diagnostics such as an MRI to determine if you are a strong candidate for the RFA procedure.

If radiofrequency ablation is recommended, the physician will explain the procedure in detail, including any and all possible complications and side effects.

Feel free to ask any questions you may have at your appointments prior to this procedure. Our physicians are here to thoroughly treat your symptoms, educate you on your treatment, and make you feel comfortable. You, our patient, are the number one priority at Dominion Orthopaedic Clinic.

Trigger points are focal areas of muscle spasm, often located in the upper back and shoulder areas. A trigger point injection involves the injection of medication directly into the trigger point, and this can be done in the office at Dominion Orthopaedic, making it convenient and comfortable for the patient. Trigger point injections can be used to treat various conditions and our physicians will discuss with you if this type of injection would be suitable to effectively treat your pain.

An occipital nerve block is an injection of steroid medication around the greater and lesser occipital nerves that are located on the back of the head just above the neck area. The steroid medication that is injected reduces the inflammation and swelling of tissue around the occipital nerves. This may in turn reduce pain and other symptoms caused by inflammation or irritation of the nerves and surrounding structures. There is local anesthetic in the injection, and this procedure that is done with a small thin needle, usually does not require sedation. Due to the local anesthetic, you may experience some immediate pain relief. The steroid medication will start working in about 3 to 5 days and this effect can last for several days to a few months.Your physicain is there to determine whether or not you are a candidate that can benefit from this procedure. Our physicians will determine this based on your medical history, symptoms, and your diagnostic imaging test results (MRI). The Physician is there to discuss in detail the procedure, along with the risks and predicted outcome. You, our patient, are the number one priority at Dominion Orthopaedic Clinic.