This injection treats the pain of an inflamed nerve in your thoracic spine. It relieves nerve swelling. If you have a herniated disc, spinal stenosis or some other problem that presses on a nerve, it may help you.
To begin, you lie down. You may be given medicine to help you relax. You are numbed with an injection of local anesthetic.
Next, we insert a needle through the numb area. We use a video device called a "fluoroscope" to guide the needle into the epidural space. That's the space around your inflamed nerve. We may inject contrast dye to make sure the needle is in the right place.
Finally, we inject the medicine. It bathes the painful nerve. It relieves pain and swelling. If you have other painful nerves, you may need more than one injection.
After your injection, you are watched for a short time, then you can go home. To get the full benefit, you may need to come back for more injections. Your doctor will create a plan that's right for you.