Medically reviewed by Dr. David L. Greenwald, MD, FAANS, FACS — dual board-certified spine surgeon & neurosurgeon. Last reviewed October 2026.

Spinal injections are one of the most effective non-surgical ways to relieve back, neck, and nerve pain — and to confirm exactly where it's coming from. Performed under live imaging by a surgeon, each injection targets the precise structure driving your symptoms, from an inflamed facet joint to a compressed nerve root.

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What Are Spinal Injections?

A spinal injection is a precise, in-office procedure that delivers medication directly to the structure in your spine that is generating pain — an inflamed nerve root, an arthritic joint, an irritated sacroiliac joint, or a knotted muscle. Instead of asking a pill to circulate through your whole body in the hope that some of it reaches the problem, an injection places anti-inflammatory or regenerative medicine exactly where the trouble is. That precision is what makes injections so effective: the medicine goes to work at the source, and the rest of your body is left alone.

Spinal injections occupy an important middle ground in spine care. They are far more targeted than oral medication and physical therapy, yet far less invasive than surgery. For many patients with back, neck, or radiating nerve pain, a well-placed injection relieves symptoms long enough for the underlying irritation to settle — and for those whose pain is more stubborn, the same injection becomes a diagnostic tool that tells your surgeon precisely where to direct the next step. At Desert Spine and Pain, injections are part of our interventional pain management program, performed by a surgeon rather than delegated to staff, so the person placing the needle is the same expert interpreting what your response to it means.

Our Spinal Injection Procedures

Most people searching for a "spinal injection" don't yet know which one they need — and that's exactly what your consultation is for. These are the main image-guided injections we perform, each matched to a specific source of pain:

When Are Spinal Injections Recommended?

Spinal injections are usually considered once simpler measures have had a fair chance and haven't delivered enough relief. If a few weeks of rest, activity modification, physical therapy, or oral anti-inflammatories have left you still hurting — or if your pain is radiating, sharp, or limiting what you can do — a targeted injection is often the logical next step. It is also the right choice when your symptoms strongly suggest a specific structure as the culprit and your surgeon wants to both treat and confirm it at the same time.

You may be a good candidate for a spinal injection if you have:

• Radiating nerve pain. Pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness that travels into an arm or leg — the hallmark of a compressed nerve root from a herniated disc or stenosis.
• Persistent back or neck pain. Aching that hasn't resolved with conservative care and is interfering with sleep, work, or daily activity.
• Joint-driven pain. Pain that points to the facet joints of the spine or the sacroiliac joint in the lower back and buttock.
• An unclear pain generator. Imaging that shows more than one possible source, where a diagnostic injection can pinpoint which one is actually responsible.

Injections are not the answer for every patient, and they are not a substitute for a real diagnosis. If your evaluation shows that a different path — further conservative care, a nerve block, radiofrequency ablation, or in select cases surgery — would serve you better, we'll tell you plainly.

Why a Surgeon Places Your Injection

Many clinics delegate injections to staff with limited imaging. At Desert Spine and Pain, your injection is performed by a dual board-certified spine surgeon and neurosurgeon under live X-ray (fluoroscopic) guidance. That means the needle reaches the exact structure — not near it — which makes the treatment both more effective and more informative: if an injection relieves your pain, it confirms the source and guides the next step, whether that's a repeat injection, a nerve block, radiofrequency ablation, or, rarely, surgery.

Because Dr. Greenwald treats the full spectrum of spine problems, your injection is never placed in isolation. It is one considered move in a larger plan. The surgeon who numbs that facet joint today is the same person who understands what it means if the relief lasts a week versus a season — and who can carry your care forward seamlessly, with nothing lost in a handoff between providers.

Image-Guided Precision — Treatment and Diagnosis in One

The single most important feature of a spinal injection is accuracy, and accuracy comes from imaging. At Desert Spine and Pain, every injection is placed under live fluoroscopic guidance — a real-time X-ray that lets Dr. Greenwald watch the needle advance and see exactly where the medication goes. Often a small amount of contrast dye is used to confirm the spread before any medicine is delivered, so you can be confident the injection reached the intended target and only the intended target. An injection placed "blind" or by feel alone cannot offer that certainty.

This precision gives a spinal injection a second, underappreciated job: diagnosis. When your pain has more than one possible source, a carefully targeted injection can settle the question. If numbing a specific facet joint or nerve root takes your pain away, that structure is almost certainly the generator — and that knowledge directs everything that follows, from a longer-lasting procedure like radiofrequency ablation to a focused surgical plan. Few treatments both relieve pain and sharpen the diagnosis at the same time. In the hands of a surgeon who reads your imaging and performs the injection personally, that dual value is fully realized.

What to Expect During Your Injection

A spinal injection is an outpatient procedure, and most patients are surprised by how quick and comfortable it is. Here is how a typical visit unfolds:

• Positioning. You lie on a procedure table, usually face down, and the area is cleaned and draped. The fluoroscopy unit is positioned so Dr. Greenwald can image the spine in real time.
• Numbing. The skin and deeper tissue over the target are numbed with local anesthetic, so the injection itself is well tolerated. Light sedation is available for patients who want it, though many don't need it.
• Guided placement. Under live X-ray, the needle is advanced precisely to the target. Contrast dye may be used to confirm correct placement before the medication is delivered.
• The injection. The medicine — an anti-inflammatory steroid, a numbing agent, or regenerative platelet-rich plasma, depending on your plan — is placed, and the needle is removed. The active part of the procedure usually takes only a few minutes.
• Brief recovery. You rest for a short period while we make sure you're comfortable, then you go home. Because the appointment is quick, most of your visit is preparation and monitoring rather than the injection itself.

You'll feel brief pressure as the needle is placed, but sharp pain is uncommon once the area is numbed. Our team talks you through each step so there are no surprises.

Recovery & Aftercare

Recovery from a spinal injection is typically straightforward. Most patients walk out on their own and resume normal activity within a day or two. It's common to take it easy for the rest of the procedure day — you'll be asked to avoid strenuous activity, heavy lifting, and driving if you received sedation — and then ease back into your routine. Some patients notice mild soreness at the injection site for a day or so, which usually responds to ice and rest.

The medication's full effect builds over the following days rather than all at once. With a steroid injection, for example, the numbing agent may give early relief that fades, followed by the anti-inflammatory benefit settling in over the next several days. Your care doesn't end when you leave: we see you in follow-up to learn how you responded, because your response is a crucial piece of information. Strong, lasting relief may mean no further treatment is needed; strong but short-lived relief often points toward a longer-lasting option. Either way, the result shapes your next step — this is interventional care, not an open-ended prescription.

Insurance, Out-of-Network & Cost

Spinal injections are a widely recognized, medically necessary treatment, and when they are indicated for your condition they are commonly covered by insurance — though coverage, copays, deductibles, and prior-authorization rules vary from plan to plan. Our team verifies your benefits and explains any expected out-of-pocket cost before anything is scheduled, so you're never caught off guard by a surprise bill.

We welcome out-of-network patients of every kind, and you don't need a referral to be seen. Because many of our patients come to us after a car accident or injury, we also coordinate closely with personal-injury attorneys and offer 24/7 concierge support for accident-related spine care. If you have questions about coverage or cost for a specific injection, call us at (602) 566-9500 and we'll walk you through exactly what to expect.

Proudly Serving the Greater Phoenix, Arizona Area

Why Choose Our Injection Specialists in Phoenix

Your injections are performed by a specialist who is both a board-certified spine surgeon and a neurosurgeon — so the same expert who treats your pain today can escalate your care seamlessly if it's ever needed. We welcome out-of-network patients, require no referral, and work closely with personal-injury attorneys for accident-related pain.

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Spinal Injections: Frequently Asked Questions