CT Spinal Steroid Injection

Please arrange for someone to drive you to our department and then take you home after the procedure.

Please let the front desk staff know if you are taking any medications that thin the blood or prevent clots or blood vessel blockages

If you are in severe pain, please take your usual pain relief medication before coming to the xray department. You may need to continue taking your pain relief medication for a few days after the injection procedure.

If possible, please bring with you ALL your previous xrays, MRIs, CTs or other imaging tests.

Please arrange to wear comfortable clothing, for instance tracksuit pants, shorts with elastic waists, t shirt. You may be asked to change into a surgical gown if required.

When you arrive you will be asked to fill in a questionnaire. It is important to find out a few details about your medical history to ensure the injection can be performed in a safe manner. You will also be asked to fill in and sign a consent form. If you have any questions please ask the front desk staff, the technicians or the xray doctor.

You will then be taken into the CT room and asked to change (if required).

You will be asked to lie down on the CT table face down. A paper indicator sheet will be placed on your lower back and a preliminary scan will be taken. Then the doctor will come in and go through the injection procedure process with you one more time and you will have a chance to ask any more questions. Then a felt tip pen mark will be placed on the skin at the site of injection.

After preparation of the skin with antiseptic, a local anaesthetic injection will be given (you will feel a short sharp needle prick) to numb the skin and the tissues underneath. Then when the anaesthetic medicine has had time to soak in and work, a very thin needle will be inserted. The doctor will take a few more scans and reposition the needle between the scans until the needle is in the right position for the injection. Then the steroid medicine will be injected.

During a perineural/exit foraminal injection, the needle tip needs to be as close to the nerve as possible for the medicine to work properly. While the needle is close to the nerve, you may experience sharp pain going down the leg. This will only be temporary and will go away once the needle has been removed (which will be shortly afterwards, since it only takes a few seconds to injected the medicine).

After the injection you may experience numbness in the leg, but this should resolve.

The steroid medicine is a long acting medication, but usually takes 2-3 days to start working, and symptoms should continue to improve over the next 1-2 weeks.

This is a relatively safe procedure. The rare side effects/complications include infection, bleeding, and nerve damage.

You are advised to avoid heavy lifting, exercise or strenuous activity for at least 2 days, but you may walk around normally. You should avoid physiotherapy treatment for 5-7 days after the injection, but should (re)commence after this time.

Please return to your referring doctor for follow up and review after the injection.

Involves injection of a long acting steroid and short acting anaesthetic, to relieve pain. Uses celestone chronodose and Marcaine

Please arrange for someone to drive you to our department and then take you home after the procedure.
Please let the front desk staff know if you are taking any medications that thin the blood or prevent clots or blood vessel blockages
If you are in severe pain, please take your usual pain relief medication before coming to the xray department. You may need to continue taking your pain relief medication for a few days after the injection procedure.
If possible, please bring with you ALL your previous xrays, MRIs, CTs or other imaging tests.
Please arrange to wear comfortable clothing, for instance tracksuit pants, shorts with elastic waists, t shirt. You may be asked to change into a surgical gown if required.
When you arrive you will be asked to fill in a questionnaire. It is important to find out a few details about your medical history to ensure the injection can be performed in a safe manner. You will also be asked to fill in and sign a consent form. If you have any questions please ask the front desk staff, the technicians or the xray doctor.
You will then be taken into the CT room and asked to change (if required).
You will be asked to lie down on the CT table face down. A paper indicator sheet will be placed on your lower back and a preliminary scan will be taken. Then the doctor will come in and go through the injection procedure process with you one more time and you will have a chance to ask any more questions. Then a felt tip pen mark will be placed on the skin at the site of injection.
After preparation of the skin with antiseptic, a local anaesthetic injection will be given (you will feel a short sharp needle prick) to numb the skin and the tissues underneath. Then when the anaesthetic medicine has had time to soak in and work, a very thin needle will be inserted. The doctor will take a few more scans and reposition the needle between the scans until the needle is in the right position for the injection. Then the steroid medicine will be injected.
After the injection you may experience numbness in the leg, but this should resolve.
The steroid medicine is a long acting medication, but usually takes 2-3 days to start working, and symptoms should continue to improve over the next 1-2 weeks.
This is a safe procedure. The rare side effects/complications include infection, bleeding, and nerve damage.
You are advised to avoid heavy lifting, exercise or strenuous activity for at least 2 days, but you may walk around normally. You should avoid physiotherapy treatment for 5-7 days after the injection, but should (re)commence after this time.
Please return to your referring doctor for follow up and review after the injection.

Involves injection of a long acting steroid to relieve pain. Uses dexamethasone

Please arrange for someone to drive you to our department and then take you home after the procedure.
Please let the front desk staff know if you are taking any medications that thin the blood or prevent clots or blood vessel blockages
If you are in severe pain, please take your usual pain relief medication before coming to the xray department. You may need to continue taking your pain relief medication for a few days after the injection procedure.
If possible, please bring with you ALL your previous xrays, MRIs, CTs or other imaging tests.
Please arrange to wear comfortable clothing, for instance tracksuit pants, shorts with elastic waists, t shirt. You may be asked to change into a surgical gown if required.
When you arrive you will be asked to fill in a questionnaire. It is important to find out a few details about your medical history to ensure the injection can be performed in a safe manner. You will also be asked to fill in and sign a consent form. If you have any questions please ask the front desk staff, the technicians or the xray doctor.
You will then be taken into the CT room and asked to change (if required).
You will be asked to lie down on the CT table face down. A paper indicator sheet will be placed on your lower back and a preliminary scan will be taken. Then the doctor will come in and go through the injection procedure process with you one more time and you will have a chance to ask any more questions. Then a felt tip pen mark will be placed on the skin at the site of injection.
After preparation of the skin with antiseptic, a local anaesthetic injection will be given (you will feel a short sharp needle prick) to numb the skin and the tissues underneath. Then when the anaesthetic medicine has had time to soak in and work, a very thin needle will be inserted. The doctor will take a few more scans and reposition the needle between the scans until the needle is in the right position for the injection. Then the steroid medicine will be injected.
During a perineural/exit foraminal injection, the needle tip needs to be as close to the nerve as possible for the medicine to work properly. While the needle is close to the nerve, you may experience sharp pain going down the leg. This will only be temporary and will go away once the needle has been removed (which will be shortly afterwards, since it only takes a few seconds to injected the medicine).
After the injection you may experience numbness in the leg, but this should resolve.
The steroid medicine is a long acting medication, but usually takes 2-3 days to start working, and symptoms should continue to improve over the next 1-2 weeks.
This is a safe procedure. The rare side effects/complications include infection, bleeding, and nerve damage.
You are advised to avoid heavy lifting, exercise or strenuous activity for at least 2 days, but you may walk around normally. You should avoid physiotherapy treatment for 5-7 days after the injection, but should (re)commence after this time.
Please return to your referring doctor for follow up and review after the injection.

Involves injection of a long acting steroid to relieve pain. Uses dexamethasone

Please arrange for someone to drive you to our department and then take you home after the procedure.

Please let the front desk staff know if you are taking any medications that thin the blood or prevent clots or blood vessel blockages

If you are in severe pain, please take your usual pain relief medication before coming to the xray department. You may need to continue taking your pain relief medication for a few days after the injection procedure.

If possible, please bring with you ALL your previous xrays, MRIs, CTs or other imaging tests.

Please arrange to wear comfortable clothing, for instance tracksuit pants, shorts with elastic waists, t shirt. You may be asked to change into a surgical gown if required.

When you arrive you will be asked to fill in a questionnaire. It is important to find out a few details about your medical history to ensure the injection can be performed in a safe manner. You will also be asked to fill in and sign a consent form. If you have any questions please ask the front desk staff, the technicians or the xray doctor.

You will then be taken into the CT room and asked to change (if required).

You will be asked to lie down on the CT table face down. A paper indicator sheet will be placed on your lower back and a preliminary scan will be taken. Then the doctor will come in and go through the injection procedure process with you one more time and you will have a chance to ask any more questions. Then a felt tip pen mark will be placed on the skin at the site of injection.

After preparation of the skin with antiseptic, a local anaesthetic injection will be given (you will feel a short sharp needle prick) to numb the skin and the tissues underneath. Then when the anaesthetic medicine has had time to soak in and work, a very thin needle will be inserted. The doctor will take a few more scans and reposition the needle between the scans until the needle is in the right position for the injection. Then the steroid medicine will be injected.

During a perineural/exit foraminal injection, the needle tip needs to be as close to the nerve as possible for the medicine to work properly. While the needle is close to the nerve, you may experience sharp pain going down the leg. This will only be temporary and will go away once the needle has been removed (which will be shortly afterwards, since it only takes a few seconds to injected the medicine).

After the injection you may experience numbness in the leg, but this should resolve.

The steroid medicine is a long acting medication, but usually takes 2-3 days to start working, and symptoms should continue to improve over the next 1-2 weeks.

This is a safe procedure. The rare side effects/complications include infection, bleeding, and nerve damage.

You are advised to avoid heavy lifting, exercise or strenuous activity for at least 2 days, but you may walk around normally. You should avoid physiotherapy treatment for 5-7 days after the injection, but should (re)commence after this time.

Please return to your referring doctor for follow up and review after the injection.