Shots for Back Pain

Most people will experience back pain at some point in their lives. If you have back pain that is severe, it can interfere with your ability to work and perform everyday tasks. If aspirin and physical therapy fail to help, then your doctor can give you shots to relieve your back pain.

The Facts

• Back pain can be caused by a variety of factors including a pulled muscle, vascular disease or a herniated disk. If you experience a herniated disk, then one of the intervertebral disks in your spine has slipped out of place. The protruding portion of the disk can press down one of the nerves near your spine, causing inflammation and pain. One of the treatments your doctor can offer you is shots for your back pain.

Steroid Shots

• The shots used to treat back pain are injections of corticosteroids. Your doctor will inject the steroids directly into your back, targeting the nerve that is causing your back pain. The steroids will help to reduce the inflammation in the area, which will in turn reduce your pain levels. Shots for back pain are usually recommended after rest, applications of heat or cold or over-the-counter pain medications have failed to give you any relief.

Limitations

• There are limitations to the effectiveness of shots as a treatment for back pain. If your pain is caused by vascular disease or by cancer, then steroid injections will not give you any relief. If you have a bleeding problem or are taking blood thinners for another medical condition, steroid injections could cause excessive bleeding. To avoid damaging tissue, steroid injections can only be given a limited number of times a year. The effects of a shot may wear off before you can have another.

Considerations

• Steroid injections carry with them potential side effects of which you should be aware. If your doctor gives you shots for back pain, then you could experience an infection or an allergic reaction at the injection site. You may also experience bleeding where you are injected. There is also a chance the shot will cause a tendon to rupture or will result in a decrease of your bone density.

Prognosis

• While shots will not repair the cause of your back pain, they can be an important part of your recovery. Relief from pain and difficulty moving can make it much easier for you to get back to your everyday activities. It can also allow you to engage in physical therapy and build up strength in your back, which can help stop the pain. If shots combined with other forms of treatment fail to relieve your pain, then your doctor might suggest surgery as the next step in treatment.