Please Advise Us Beforehand

• If you are on anticoagulants such as Warfarin or if you are diabetic, as some injections may affect your sugar levels.
• If you are, or may be, pregnant.

Preparation

• Bring your referral, Medicare, and/or Pension Health Care Card, along with any previous imaging related to the region being scanned.
• No preparation is required.

What Happens During the Procedure

• You may be asked to change into a gown and be comfortably positioned so that the area being examined is most accessible.
• Ultrasound scans are taken to locate the exact position.
• The skin in the area is sterilized with antiseptic, and a local anesthetic is given.
• The injection is then performed, being guided into the correct area via ultrasound.

How Long Does It Take?

• Approximately 15-30 minutes.

After Your Examination

• If a local anesthetic has been used, you may not feel any pain for a few hours. Depending on the type of injection, you may not be able to drive for approximately 6 hours afterward.

Possible Complications

• There is a minor risk of infection post-injection. Please seek medical advice if you experience a high temperature.
• Female patients who have a steroid injection may notice changes in their menstrual cycle.
• Diabetics should closely monitor their blood sugars for 5 days after an injection.
• Please ask our staff for further information on this topic.

CT Guided Injections: CT guided injections are used to deliver medications directly into an area affected by extreme pain, typically the back and neck. These injections are considered when traditional physiotherapy and oral painkillers have not provided relief. There are three main types of injections:

1. Facet Joint Injections
2. Perineural Injections
3. Epidural Injections

Occasionally, these injections are performed to help diagnose the cause of the pain.

Please Advise Us Beforehand

• If you are, or may be, pregnant.
• If you are diabetic.
• If you have a recent history of peptic ulcers.

Preparation

• Bring your referral, Medicare, and Pension Health Care Cards, along with

• any previous imaging related to the region being scanned.
• Confirm with your doctor whether you should continue taking your normal medications.
• Arrange for someone to accompany you to ensure you get home safely.

What Happens During the Procedure

• You will be asked to lie face down on the CT table, and a planning CT scan will be taken.
• At the area of your injection, you will receive a local anaesthetic.

• The radiologist will place a very fine needle into the exact location to be injected using CT guidance. Medication, including an anaesthetic and an anti-inflammatory, will then be injected into the area.
• The anaesthetic should start working before you leave our practice and will wear off after approximately 8 hours. The anti-inflammatory is long-lasting, with effects lasting up to 3 months, although it may not begin working for several (2-7) days following the injection.

How Long Does It Take? A CT guided injection typically takes around 15 minutes.

After Your Examination

• You may experience numbness in the legs, arms, back, or face, which should last only for a few hours.
• It is common to experience immediate pain relief, with the pain returning around 8 hours later. Relief from the anti-inflammatory may start anytime from 2 days after the injection.
• Avoid exercise and strenuous activity for around 2 weeks.