Check with your medical doctor before taking these medications for more than a few days. Exercise or Physical Therapy - often recommended to assist in decreasing pain and regaining normal function. This may be performed as a home exercise program provided by your doctor or under the direction of a physical therapist. Injection Therapy - reserved for patients for whom other conservative treatments have not worked. Injections may consist of epidural steroid injections or spinal nerve blocks, or facet joint injections.
Steroid injections can decrease inflammation to spinal nerves and thereby reduce the pain.
Nerve blocks interrupt the signal of pain from a spinal nerve from reaching your brain. This can provide temporary relief of pain. These injections may also assist in confirming or negating a specific diagnosis regarding your spinal problem. Facet joint injections can provide relief of pain caused by an arthritic spine joint. Most people with spine problems do not require surgery.