Spinal Injections in Delhi

Spinal problems affect people of all ages, causing pain, limited mobility and altered sensation, and they remain among the most common reasons for missed work. Conditions such as a slipped disc, nerve compression, lumbar spinal stenosis and chronic back pain can cause sharp pain, numbness or weakness in the neck, back, arms or legs.

For patients seeking non-surgical options, spinal injections offer a minimally invasive way to manage chronic back or radiating nerve pain. This page explains the main types — nerve root blocks, epidural injections and facet joint blocks — how they are performed, and the risks and benefits they carry, to support an informed discussion with a spine specialist.

What are spinal injections?

Spinal injections deliver medication to a precise location in the spine, both to identify where pain is coming from and to relieve it without surgery. The medication is usually a local anaesthetic, which numbs the area, often combined with a steroid to reduce inflammation around the spinal nerve roots and support improved movement.

These injections serve two purposes. Diagnostically, an injection helps locate the anatomical structure responsible for pain — if pain eases after the area is numbed, that points to the source. Therapeutically, the same injection may provide a period of relief by delivering anti-inflammatory medication directly to the affected site, creating an opportunity to move better and engage with rehabilitation. Often a single injection serves both roles.

Three common types target different structures:

• Nerve root block — medication is placed around a specific nerve as it exits the spinal column.
• Epidural injection — medication is delivered into the epidural space, the area surrounding the spinal cord and nerve sac, for pain radiating from the spine into the limbs.
• Facet joint block — medication is directed at one of the small facet joints connecting the vertebrae, for localised neck or back pain.

Who is a candidate? (Indications)

Spinal injections are considered when pain is thought to arise from a specific spinal structure and has not settled with conservative treatment such as rest, oral anti-inflammatory medication and physiotherapy. Common situations include:

• Sciatica or arm pain caused by irritation or compression of a nerve root, where a nerve root block or epidural may help.
• Lumbar spinal stenosis, where an epidural injection may ease nerve root swelling and the associated pain.
• Suspected facet joint pain, where a facet block can help confirm whether a specific joint is the source.
• An uncertain pain source, where a carefully chosen injection helps clarify the underlying cause — useful because back and neck pain rarely stem from a single isolated structure.

Injections are usually one part of a broader plan that includes physiotherapy, targeted exercise and activity modification. They are generally not the first or only step, and the choice depends on your symptoms, their location, and the findings on examination and imaging.

How the procedure is performed

Spinal injections are most commonly performed as a short outpatient procedure. In some cases an intravenous line is used for light sedation. The broad steps are:

1. You may be asked to change into a gown.
2. You are positioned on your stomach or side, giving clear access to the injection site.
3. The skin is cleaned with antiseptic and numbed with local anaesthetic.
4. Using image guidance such as live X-ray, a fine needle is guided to the intended target where the inflammation lies.
5. A small amount of contrast dye may be used to confirm correct needle position before the medication is given.
6. The medication — usually a mix of local anaesthetic and corticosteroid — is injected at the target site.
7. The needle is removed and a small dressing applied.
8. You are observed for a short period, typically 15 to 30 minutes, to assess the early response.

Image guidance and accuracy

Image guidance is fundamental to modern spinal pain intervention. Real-time X-ray, often with contrast, allows the medication to be delivered accurately and the target confirmed before anything is administered.

Accurate targeting matters for both roles of the injection. For diagnosis, precise placement at the intended structure makes the patient’s response meaningful and interpretable. For treatment, it delivers medication directly to the affected nerve or joint while supporting safe practice. The choice of target is guided by symptoms, clinical findings and imaging.

Benefits and risks

Spinal injections have a favourable safety profile when appropriately performed. As with any procedure, the potential benefits should be weighed against the risks.

Potential benefits.

• Helps identify the source of pain and guide subsequent treatment decisions.
• May provide a period of relief, creating an opportunity to engage more effectively with physiotherapy and return gradually to normal activity.
• Offers a minimally invasive, outpatient option that may reduce or delay the need for surgery in selected patients.

Recognised risks.

• A temporary increase in pain or discomfort before the intended benefit is felt.
• Bleeding, bruising or infection at the injection site.
• Headache, particularly after certain epidural procedures.
• A transient rise in blood glucose or other short-term effects related to steroid medication.
• Rarely, temporary nerve irritation or nerve injury.

Before the procedure, your specialist will discuss the risks and benefits in detail and explain any precautions relevant to your medical condition and overall health.

Alternatives

Injections are one component within a broader range of treatment options, and their role is best considered against an individual’s overall clinical picture.

• Physiotherapy and exercise form the cornerstone of non-surgical care for many spinal conditions, improving function, mobility and strength.
• Medication and lifestyle changes may help manage pain and inflammation while supporting continued movement.
• Surgery may be considered where there is significant nerve or spinal cord compression, spinal instability, or persistent symptoms despite appropriate non-surgical treatment.

Injections do not correct underlying structural problems. They are best viewed as a complementary treatment that may help manage pain and enable rehabilitation, while providing diagnostic information.

Recovery and outlook

Recovery is not the same for everyone, but it is usually swift. Most people return home the same day and resume normal activities within a day or two, following their clinician’s advice. Mild soreness at the injection site may occur initially and usually settles quickly.

The duration of relief varies. Some people experience benefit for weeks or months; others have shorter-lasting relief or little improvement. Where effective, an injection creates an opportunity to progress with physiotherapy and graded activity. Because injections target symptoms rather than the underlying cause, ongoing self-management remains important.

When to seek a specialist opinion

Assessment may be appropriate when back, neck, leg or arm pain persists despite conservative treatment, or when the source of pain remains unclear. Progressive weakness, worsening numbness, or loss of bladder or bowel control requires prompt assessment to exclude serious nerve compression.

A spine specialist can determine whether a spinal injection is appropriate for you, explain its diagnostic and therapeutic role, and set out how it fits within your overall treatment plan.