Visconti Imaging & Vein Institute offers steroid injections for pain management. These injections
not only serve a therapeutic purpose, but they also can help to diagnose the source of the patient's pain.
What do I need to do to prepare for my injections?
Get a referral. Your referring doctor will need to fill out an order and specify the type of
injection that is recommended.
Bring a driver. After an injection, some patients experience tingling and numbness in their
legs which can impact their capability to drive. You will need to bring a driver with you to each
appointment; we will be unable to do your injection without one.
Do not take blood thinners up to 1 week before your appointment. If you are currently taking
blood thinners, including aspirin, heparin, and Coumadin, then you will need to ask your referring
doctor if it is okay to stop taking them. We will be unable to perform an injection if you are
currently taking blood thinners.
Retrieve your previous films. If you have had previous diagnostic studies (including MRI,
CT, or x-ray) of your spine, you should bring the films with you to your appointment.
What types of Injections does Visconti Imaging offer?
Lumbar Epidural Spinal Injections (LESI). The nerves of the spine run through the epidural
space; compression of these nerves can cause lower back pain. An epidural injection can be performed to
decrease the inflammation, which in turn relieves your pain. Epidural injections are completed as a
series of three - you will have one every 3 weeks. It is important that you come back to the office
whether or not the injection relieved your pain. If it helped, then additional medication will be
delivered to the same area. If you did not experience any pain relief, then a different area of the
spine will be targeted.
Facet Injections. The facet joints are found in pairs on each vertebral level - they provide
stability and guide motion of the spine. Pain derived from inflammation of the facet joints can
radiate to the leg, buttocks and hip. Depending on what your referring doctor recommends, you may
have multiple levels injected at one time.
Piriformis (Sciatic) Injections. If the piriformis muscle is inflamed, it can compress the sciatic
nerve. This can cause tingling and numbness, as well as pain that radiates down the leg.
During the procedure, your piriformis muscle will be injected with medication to reduce the amount
of swelling. Once the inflammation decreases, the sciatic nerve will no longer be compressed.
Joint Injections. The most common joint injections completed at Visconti Imaging & Vein Institute
include the shoulder, hip, and sacroiliac joints. A steroid injection can help to decrease the joint
inflammation and could potentially increase the range of movement.
How is the procedure done?
Most spinal injections are done with the patient lying face down; the joint (hip, shoulder, etc) injections
are normally done with the patient lying face up. The area to be injected will be prepped with a cleansing
solution. The procedure itself only takes about 5-10 minutes, and a local anesthetic will be used to ease
any discomfort that you are feeling. All injections are done under fluoroscopic guidance, producing live
x-ray images, to ensure proper needle placement. Once the needle is in place, a corticosteroid will be
injected to medicate the area. This steroid may relieve your symptoms for several weeks up to several months.
