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Medical Author:

Catherine Burt Driver, MD

Catherine Burt Driver, MD

Catherine Burt Driver, MD, is board certified in internal medicine and rheumatology by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Dr. Driver is a member of the American College of Rheumatology. She currently is in active practice in the field of rheumatology in Mission Viejo, Calif., where she is a partner in Mission Internal Medical Group.

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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Steroids (cortisone) can be injected into the epidural space (the space surrounding the spinal cord). This is known as an epidural injection. Steroids can also be injected into the facet joints which connect the vertebrae, trigger points in the soft tissue, or directly into the intervertebral disc spaces. These procedures may have a role in managing acute pain, especially radicular pain, which radiates into a limb.

Other procedures for back and neck pain include intradiscal injections (cortisone injection directly into an intervertebral disc), trigger point injections of steroid, anesthetic, or both, facet joint steroid injection, steroid injection into the sacroiliac joints, steroid injection into the piriformis muscle for piriformis syndrome, and radiofrequency denervation (destruction of painful nerves using a radiofrequency current) among others.

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