Pain management interventions

A steroid injection in the space that surrounds the spinal cord bathes the nerve roots, which send pain signals to the brain.

A medial branch block is used for localised back pain where simpler measures have failed and can work by reducing pain signals from the facet joint.

An occipital nerve injection around a peripheral nerve known as the occipital nerve situated at the back of the head can help with diagnosis as well as pain relief.

Injections may be carried out around peripheral nerves at different sources of pain in the body to both diagnose an issue and bring pain relief.

A sacroiliac joint injection - at the bottom of the spine where it joins the pelvis - can be used to diagnose and treat certain types of back pain.

A dorsal root ganglion block is an injection of local anaesthetic into what looks like a small swelling on the nerve that joins the spinal cord.

Rhizolysis or radio frequency lesioning is usually undertaken when medial branch blocks have proven to produce significant pain relief for a short duration.