The procedure is a diagnostic injection so it is important for you to tell your physician how much your pain is relieved.  It is helpful to use your pain diary.

What to Expect:
You will be given an intravenous catheter (IV) and taken to the operating room or procedure room. Monitors will be placed on you to track your vital signs.                                    

The procedure is performed while you lie on your back on the operating table. Your neck will be cleaned off with a sterile solution and a sterile drape placed to keep the area clean. You should not reach into the area that has been cleaned or you risk infection. Using fluoroscopy, an x-ray like process, for guidance, a needle is then placed at the level of the foramen in the neck, (on the side of the neck). Dye is injected to help position the needle and then a small amount of numbing medication injected around a target nerve root to determine if it is the source of pain. Sometimes a small amount of anti-inflammatory is also injected. 

It is very important during any cervical spinal injection procedure to let your physician know immediately if you feel a sudden pain going down your arm to your hand or shoulder.

Following the Procedure:
Sometimes the steroid is irritating and can cause temporary neck soreness.

Following the procedure, you will be asked to complete a PAIN DIARY to develop a record of your pain that provides information our doctors can use.