You will not be able to drive the remainder of the day after the injection. Please make sure that you have someone that is willing to drive you if you have other appointments.
Activities should be kept to a minimum the day of the procedure, then resume activities as tolerated.
You may feel pain or soreness the following day of the procedure. You may use ice for 20 minutes every 3 hours to help relieve the soreness, while awake. Please avoid applying heat for the first 48 hours after the procedure as it can affect bleeding and the steroid injected.
You may remove the bandage after several hours. You may shower the night or day of the procedure. Avoid soaking in a bath or hot tub/whirlpool for 72 hours after the injection.
A small bruise at the injection site for 1-2 days is normal.
The injection is typically a combination of local anesthetic or numbing medication and a steroid. The local anesthetic usually will start taking effect within an hour, however, the steroid typically take about 3 days before an affect is noted. You may feel better fairly quickly but that may wear off before the steroid starts working. This is fairly normal. The injection can sometimes take up to two full weeks before a patient sees improvement.
Medications are typically NOT given after the procedure for two main reasons. First, the goal of the injection is to get improvement without needing medication. Second, if you feel relief, we do not know if it is from the medication or the injection. Clinically this helps us determine your cause for pain and future therapy.
If you experience weakness, loss of bladder or bowel function please call the office immediately.
You make take Tylenol for localized soreness after the injection, but is better to avoid medications like Motrin, Alleve or Aspirin for increased risk of bleeding.
If the injections site becomes red, swollen or notice any discharge please call the office.
If you develop a headache that will not go away with usual treatments please call the office.
If you develop a fever greater than 101.5 please call the office.
If for some reason you experience difficulty breathing, shortness of breath or loss of consciousness call 911 immediately.
You are scheduled to follow up in 2-3 weeks to discuss relief from the injection.
