Tests and treatments

Injection for radiating neck pain

What is it?

Due to wear and tear (arthrosis), inflammation, surgery or an accident, the spinal column may undergo change an can lead to ‘nerve pain’. Depending on which nerve is irritated, the pain will radiate towards a certain part of the body, such as the left arm or down to your fingers.

A cervical epidural injection may help you in this case. It is an injection given with local anaesthetic and an inflammation inhibitor (cortisone) in the epidural space, which is located around the spinal cord.

The goal is to address the nerve inflammation, which will reduce the pain and have you back to being active more quickly.

Treatment procedure

Preparation

On the day of the treatment, you will come to the hospital. Please follow these rules regarding fasting:

Type of food:	Example:	Allowed until at the latest:
Normal meal		midnight before the surgery or examination
Light meal	e.g. a sandwich or toast with jam. Deep-fried/fatty foods or meat are not included	six hours prior to the procedure or examination
Dairy products	Milk, bottle-feeding for a child, yoghurt...	six hours prior to the procedure or examination
Breastfeeding		four hours prior to the procedure or examination
Drinks	As wished: water, sugar water, sports drinks, clear fruit juices without pulp (apple juice, grape juice) Maximum a cup: clear tea and coffee without milk .	Recommended: continue to drink up to two hours before the procedure or examination (Exceptions: gastrointestinal surgery. You should follow the instructions of your attending physician). No milk products

By law, you may not drive any vehicles or operate machinery the morning after the treatment. Therefore, make sure that somebody can take you to and from the hospital. The physician or nurses can provide you with certificates, if required. If you wish, the nurses of the Pain Centre can order a taxi for you.

Always inform the physician if:

you have diabetes or a heart condition
you are (or could be) pregnant
you are allergic to certain medications, contrast agents or iodine (disinfectant), latex, etcetera
you take blood thinners

If you have reduced kidney function, have recently experienced thrombosis or a heart attack or have had a stent implanted, you must contact your attending physician first.

You will find an overview of the medications that you must stop taking before the treatment (and when) in the leaflet at the bottom of this page.