Cervical Injections

Advanced Spine Center

Stephen P. Courtney, MD

Orthopedic Spine Surgeon located in Plano, TX

When you have severe or chronic neck pain, numbness, or tingling, it’s hard to work, do chores around the house, and enjoy your favorite activities. At Advanced Spine Center, Stephen Courtney, MD, understands the impact of neck pain and discomfort and offers specific and effective cervical injections to help you. Located in Plano, Texas, Dr. Courtney brings more than 20 years of experience and extensive training to provide the highest quality care to relieve your pain. To schedule a consultation on cervical injections, call or book a visit online at Advanced Spine Center today.

Cervical Injections Q & A

What are cervical injections?

Cervical injections are a procedure involving the administration of medication into specific areas of the neck. Dr. Courtney performs precise, effective injections for men and women experiencing chronic or severe neck pain and numbness and tingling that extends into the arms or hands.

Cervical injections can be used to identify the specific site of your pain and determine which anatomical structure is causing your pain and whether it’s a facet joint in your spine, cervical disc herniation, or a pinched nerve.

Dr. Courtney could recommend additional treatments alongside cervical injections to ease your pain, including physical therapy, lifestyle changes, or anti-inflammatory medications.

When are cervical injections recommended?

Cervical injections are used as both a diagnostic procedure and a treatment for a variety of neck conditions, including:

  • Cervical disc degeneration
  • Cervical facet syndrome
  • Cervical disc herniation
  • Cervical radiculopathy
  • Spinal stenosis

Different types of cervical injections are used based on your symptoms, diagnosis, the site of your pain, and the severity of your discomfort. Injections can also relieve associated pain in the head, upper back, shoulders, arms, and hands.

What types of cervical injections are available?

Dr. Courtney offers two types of injections: steroid injections and analgesic injections.

Steroid injections decrease inflammation in the treatment area, while anesthetic injections decrease pain sensations and numb the treatment area.

Facet joint and epidural injections include both steroids and analgesic medications, while medial branch blocks are solely anesthetic.

Steroid injections

Steroid injections are directed into the space between the facet joints of your vertebrae or the epidural space surrounding your spinal cord. When these areas are irritated, it can lead to pain in the area and inflammation that aggravates the surrounding nerves and muscles.

Anesthetic injections

Anesthetic injections direct a numbing drug into the epidural space, spinal joints, or nerves in your neck. The medicine numbs the area and prevents pain signals in the nerves. These injections can relieve numbness and tingling in the arms and hands, as well.

Both steroid and analgesic injections are used to diagnose and to treat, though Dr. Courtney could recommend additional treatments — physical therapy, radiofrequency ablation, minimally invasive surgery — based on your response to the injections.

To determine if cervical injections can relieve your neck pain, numbness, or tingling, schedule a consultation online or by phone at Advanced Spine Center now.