Living with chronic pain on any level can extremely affect your quality of life. For most chronic pain sufferers, this means relying on things like physical therapy, pain medications, and anything else that can bring you some form of relief. However, there is one other form of treatment for chronic pain: interventional injections. Interventional injections for chronic pain sufferers can be used as an additional form of treatment beyond the usual measures and could be the key to helping you get back to living a normal life. Here is a look at some of the most common questions about interventional injections for chronic pain and the answers you will want to know.
What exactly are interventional injections for chronic pain?
There are a few different types of interventional injections that are used in a medical treatment setting for chronic pain. Nerve-blocking injections are one of the most common injection forms, which delivers a powerful dose of either steroids or pain-relieving medication directly to the nerves surrounding the area that is causing the pain. These injections are most often used for patients with things like chronic back or extremity pain, and the medication is delivered to the root of the nerves to encourage an immediate relief.
How often can interventional injections be given for chronic pain?
Every patient can have different schedules of injections, depending on their own personal circumstances. The number of times or the frequency you can get injections will depend on:
- Where the pain is located
- Your medical history
- The type of injection given
Many patients will receive interventional pain injections on a recurring basis with their practitioner, which could be anything from every month, every few weeks, or only on an as-needed basis. It all depends on what the doctor feels is safe and will provide you with the most effective relief.
Are interventional injections safe for chronic pain?
Interventional injections can definitely be an effective way to bring you some relief, and for the most part, the injections are considered safe. While all injected medications can come along with some risks and side effects, the medications given during these injections are basically the same as what you would take in another way. The only difference is the route of delivery. In fact, injections could be deemed safer than taking medications on your own because there is no chance of taking too much because the injection is administered by a professional in a controlled environment.
For more information, contact a local specialist like Joel D Stein DO PA.
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