Surgery is not always the appropriate treatment in case of severe back pain. Infiltrations, which are localized injections, can also be a treatment and relieve pain.

Infiltrations options are numerous – this is why a back specialist needs to prescribe the right type of infiltration, and also perform it with precision.

THERAPEUTICAL AND ANESTHETIC INFILTRATIONS

In certain cases, infiltrations can be used for therapeutical purposes. These are an immediate sedation, thanks to injections of cortisone and xylocaine. Cortisone diffuses locally over several days. The maximal effect is obtained through two injections practiced within two weeks of each other.

This product is usually active for over a month. Even if there is a great improvement, it is advised not to practice intense physical activity, in order to achieve a sufficient healing of the lesions (approximately six weeks).

DIAGNOSTIC INFILTRATIONS

In many cases, infiltrations can be used by a back pain doctor in order to diagnose the origin of your back pain. The pathologies of the spine are often complex and with multiple causes. By inducing anesthesia in the area where the pain originates, the neurosurgeon can confirm his diagnosis and be certain that this is the level that needs to be treated. It is indeed possible to have several pathologies at the spine level, without all of them requiring treatment. The surgeon therefore can use infiltrations to identify which one(s) causes the pain.