I had one last year in my cervical spine (between c6&7).
I elected to have it done under sedation becuz i was terribly nervous about it
and afraid i couldn't hold still.  I'm a real big baby about things like that.

Afterwards i was very sore and my pain was worse than before, but that was
expected.  Unfortunately, within a week or so i was back to the same pain
level as before the injection, so i didn't get any more since there was no
improvement.

I've heard that some people get relief from them for awhile, and some people
have no problem with having it done right there in the doctor's office without
sedation.  Good luck, and i hope you do find some relief.

I have arthritis in about the same area plus other areas.  Last thursday
I went in and had my first series of Facet Joint injections.  They were only
going to do 2, but once the doctor looked at my back under a live xray
she decided to do 4.

Firstly, my doctor gave me xanax to help calm me before I got back there,
didn't really need it.  I laid on this OR table, with a pill under my arms
the doctor used a live xray machine to help guide the needle into my back.

She first marked the spots she was going to inject, then injected Lidocaine
first then went back and injected the steriod at each spot.  Only real pain
was a bit of stinging from the cortizone.

My back has quite a bit of nerve loss so it didn't really hurt much for the
injections.  Took all of 20mins.

After resting a day, I can really feel a HUGE difference in sides of my back
now.  The side I got the injections on, doesn't hurt unless I'm sitting for
very
long now.  Can't sit upright for more then a hour without it starting to
spazm.
but I think thats a diff problem.

Good Luck... honestly the pain you feel from them is FAR LESS then you
deal with on a daily basis... Way I thought of it was... a little pain more
to help
stop much more pain.

RK

Hi Faith,,,,   I have talked to several people that have had shots to their
spine.    It reduces the swelling and that reduces the pressure on the nerve
trunk which is a good thing.   That pressure can not go on and on without
doing some damage to you.   The doctor will see how much and what kind of
help it gives you  which helps with the information needed to see if you
need an operation  and/or when you need an operation.
If it were me,,,, I would not wait.
Harv

Faith-
I had 3 done by an anesthesiologist a few years ago.  The first 2 didn't do
much and the 3rd was great and I've been fine ever since.  It really wasn't
bad (the injections).  Jan O'

Yup, yup, yup. Actually, the shot washes over the nerve, not the actual
spine. And for me, it was wonderful. I had three of them over the last
year.

Then I talked to a neurosurgeon who convinced me to have the disc
removed from my cervical neck, which I did in September, and wow, what
a great relief that has been. Of course, I'm still only two months past
the surgery, with a little bit of related stiffness and soreness. But,
I feel so much better than before the surgery, I don't know what made
me wait so long.

Cheers,

Evelyn

We have one person who is currently MIA due to a severely shattered arm who
had a series of injections in her spine this summer and experienced the most
relief she had from any treatment in decades.  If you don't get enough info
from the other spine sufferers here in a few days, I'll forward this to her,
but she can't type much right now.

I had four done about four years ago and they worked wonderfully.  I
still have to be careful that I don't stand too long or sit wrong,
because my back will start to ache.  Sitting down properly usually
makes the ache go away.  They told me I had two pinched nerves back
there.  If it is some one who has experience in doing it, go for it.
I had a pain specialist give me mine.

Loujean
God didn't promise us
that life would be fair.  
If it were, who would try
for the stars?  

Have had 3: 2 in the neck and one lower spine--sacroiliac joint. The
Sacroiliac joint was relief within hours. First one in the neck worked,
second one didn't (C-6 and C-7).
Sure wish I would have had the one done in the lower back a lot sooner
instead of being in so much pain for so long. I didn't think the back one
would work because the 2nd neck one didn't. I was soooooooo wrong. I won't
wait next time I need one.
I was only mildly sedated so I wouldn't move--done at the Pain Dr's place.
He also gives me trigger point injections as I need them but is very careful
about the number of them I get as I also am on Prednisone (down to 4.5 MG as
of last Sat : )

Butterfly