What are CT Guided Spinal Injections?
Panorama Radiology Specialists offer a comprehensive range of CT guided spinal injections for back and neck pain, including –
- Facet Joint Blocks
- Nerve Root Sheath Blocks
- Epidural Steroid Injections
- Sacro-Iliac Joint (SIJ) Blocks
- Medial Branch Blocks
Imaging guided spinal injection procedures are performed by our highly experienced interventional radiologist, Dr Watts, using precise CT guidance with our leading-edge 640-slice low-dose CT scanner.
Our staff will explain your procedure on the day of your appointment, and do their best to put you at ease and ensure you understand your procedure. The vast majority of CT guided spinal procedures are quick and involve minimal discomfort in the hands of our experienced team.
What Happens During My CT Guided Spinal Injection?
A planning CT scan is performed to localise the precise location being targeted for pain relief. The interventional radiologist will initially review your images in conjunction with your overall clinical picture. Most spinal procedures are performed under local anaesthetic and, in most cases, cause minimal discomfort. Needle placement is typically quick and accurate, and precise, with maximum care taken to avoid any critical structures such as nerves, organs and blood vessels. In most cases, a mixture of cortisone +/- local anaesthetic is injected at the target location.
For medial branch block procedures, local anaesthetic only may be administered to anaesthetise the tiny nerve branches that supply sensation to the small facet joints in the lower back to help determine the precise cause of pain.
Often a pain chart will need to be completed in the days following your procedure to record the results.
For nerve root sheath blocks, some patients may experience transient numbness or weakness in the limb or region supplied by the nerve being targeted, so you will need to rest up for the remainder of the day following the procedure.
Safety
Pregnancy
All CT guided spinal injections and biopsies involve a small dose of radiation. Whilst we use industry-leading low dose technology and take care to minimise radiation exposure, CT guided pain management injections are mostly avoided or deferred in pregnancy, except in special circumstances.
Please advise our staff if you are pregnant or think you might be.
Blood Thinning Medication
Please let our staff know if you take any regular blood thinning medication including aspirin, Cartia, warfarin, Pradaxa, Xarelto and Eliquis.
CT Guided Spinal Injection Fees
PRS has a bulk billing policy for all Medicare-eligible CT guided spinal procedure referrals.
CT Guided Spinal Injection Results
Your results and images will be promptly electronically delivered to your referrer.
You will need to return to see your referrer to discuss your results and any further management.
Our Gold Coast based radiologist is always happy to discuss your scan findings with your referring doctor and if relevant, suggest any additional imaging or procedures that may be of benefit in your individual clinical situation.