If you’ve been living with ongoing pain, you may already be wondering whether an injection could help. For many patients, injections can be an effective option for pain related to the spine, joints, muscles, nerves, or inflammation.
At Commonwealth Pain & Spine, injections are used as part of a personalized pain management plan, with the goal of helping patients reduce pain, improve movement, and get back to daily activities with greater comfort.
“There are lots of pain conditions from head to toe where interventional options can help significantly,” says Dr. Winters, who treats patients at Commonwealth in Evansville, Indiana and Owensboro, Kentucky. “There is an injection for almost every pain condition that we treat. And sometimes, there are multiple options for those conditions.”
The goal is to help patients move better, function better, and return to daily life with greater comfort. The key is choosing the right treatment for the source of pain. In some cases, that may be a steroid injection to reduce inflammation. In others, it may be a diagnostic nerve block or a procedure designed to target the nerves carrying pain signals.
Your symptoms, exam, imaging, and treatment goals all help your provider determine what injection may be the best option for you.
Injections for Spine-Related Pain
For patients with neck pain, back pain, or pain that travels into the arms or legs, spine-related injections may be considered as part of a treatment plan.
Epidural steroid injections are often recommended when inflammation around spinal nerves is contributing to pain. This type of injection is often used for pain that radiates from the spine into another area of the body, like sciatica or nerve-related pain in the neck, back, arms, or legs.
Facet joint injections target the small joints in the spine. These joints help support movement, but they can also become a source of pain due to arthritis, injury, or inflammation. Facet-related pain may feel worse with certain movements, including bending, twisting, or standing for long periods.
Sacroiliac joint injections focus on the sacroiliac joints, which are located where the lower spine and pelvis meet. Pain from this area may be felt in the low back, buttock, hip, or upper leg.
These injections may help reduce inflammation and discomfort, and they are often part of a larger plan that may include physical therapy, medication management, lifestyle changes, or other interventional treatments when needed.
Injections for Joint Pain
Pain often comes from the larger joints of the body, including the hip, knee, and shoulder. Joint injections may be used when inflammation, arthritis, injury, or irritation is contributing to pain, stiffness, or limited movement.
Hip joint injections may be considered when pain is coming from inside the hip joint. Depending on the condition, hip pain may be felt in the groin, outer hip, buttock, or thigh.
Knee joint injections can be a helpful option for patients with knee pain related to arthritis, inflammation, or other joint conditions. The goal with these types of injections is to reduce pain enough to make walking, exercising, climbing stairs, or daily movement easier.
For some patients with pain related to osteoarthritis of the knee, a genicular nerve block may also be considered. This type of injection targets specific nerves that can carry pain signals. If this works well, then a genicular radio frequency ablation (RFA) can provide significant longer-term relief. RFAs use heat created by radiofrequency energy to target specific nerves and reduce their ability to send pain signals
Shoulder joint injections may be used for shoulder pain related to inflammation, arthritis, or certain injuries. Because shoulder pain can come from several different structures, an evaluation is important before deciding which treatment may be appropriate.
For some patients with arthritis of the spine, pain, a provider may also recommend a medial branch block or RFA. "This is one of the only treatments for arthritis or inflammation of the facet joints in the spine and gives prolonged benefit," says Dr. Winters.
Joint injections are not one-size-fits-all. Your provider will look at your symptoms, exam findings, imaging when needed, and overall health to determine whether an injection may be helpful.
Bursa Injections
A bursa is a small, fluid-filled sac that helps cushion areas around the joints. When a bursa becomes irritated or inflamed, it can cause pain with movement, pressure, or certain positions.
Bursa injections may be used to help calm inflammation and reduce pain in areas such as the hip, shoulder, or other joints where bursitis may occur. Patients with bursitis may notice tenderness, aching, or pain that makes it difficult to lie on one side, walk comfortably, lift the arm, or move the affected area.
Because bursa pain can sometimes feel like joint or tendon pain, your provider will evaluate your symptoms carefully before recommending treatment.
Trigger Point Injections
Not all pain comes from the spine or joints. Sometimes, painful knots or tight bands of muscle can contribute to ongoing discomfort. These areas are often called trigger points.
Trigger point injections may be used to treat muscle-related pain, especially when tender, tight areas are causing localized pain or contributing to pain in nearby areas. This type of injection may be considered when muscle tension, spasms, or soft tissue irritation are part of the problem.
For some patients, trigger point injections may help reduce discomfort and make it easier
