This medicine decreases swelling and pressure on the larger nerves around your spine and helps relieve pain. The numbing medicine can also identify the painful nerve. You may feel some pressure during the injection. Most of the time, the procedure is not painful.

Do Spinal cortisone injections hurt?

The procedure will cause some discomfort. With a local anesthetic, you'll feel a strong pressure, but you shouldn't feel much pain. Using fluoroscopy (a form of live X-ray) as guidance, your doctor will insert the needle and direct it toward the epidural space.

What does a spinal injection feel like?

It feels like a little pinch and then a slight burning as the local anesthetic starts numbing the skin. After the skin is numb, the procedure needle feels like a bit of pressure at the injection site. You also have the option of adding some oral or intravenous sedation.