Overview
What You Can Expect
You can expect to spend up to an hour or two at our office. You will need to bring someone to drive you home. We will ask you to complete a questionnaire telling Dr. Watanabe about your pain as well as your medical history. Dr. Watanabe will review your history, give you a physical examination and discuss treatment options available. Prior to the injection you have the option to request oral sedation. You will be taken to the examination suite where Dr. Watanabe will perform your pain injection with the aid of a x-ray fluoroscope and TV monitor. This technique insures safe and accurate placement of the medication. This is a sterile procedure requiring cleansing the injection site with an antiseptic and a sterile drape before the skin is anesthetized with a local anesthetic similar to what the dentist uses.
Before Your Exam
Please bring with you any records, x-rays or MRI scans you have. If you're taking aspirin, coumadin or plavix, you will need to temporarily stop them under the guidance of your personal physician. You should avoid drinking or eating four hours before your appointment. If you have a fever or infection at the time of your appointment you may need to reschedule. If you have questions, don't hesitate to call our office.
After Your Exam
After your injection, you will be monitored for about 30 minutes and you will need someone to drive you home. Usually, after the procedure you may return to your usual activities. You will be given specific instructions depending upon your treatment. Most patients experience improvement two to three days post procedure and you will be given a form to mail back to us at the end of ten days to let us know how you're doing. You may or may not require additional evaluation or treatment depending upon how you respond, your preference and Dr. Watanabe's evaluation.
