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Pre-Procedure
Anticoagulation (blood thinners) Instructions: Always tell your provider if you are on any anticoagulation therapy. Do not hold your medication without getting approval from your prescribing doctor. Our staff will assist you with this process.
Notify your provider if you have a history of glaucoma
If sedation is used:
Our office will inform you if your procedure requires sedation. Please note these procedures may require sedation:- Epidural Steroid injections
- Facet Joint injections
- Discography
- Nerve Blocks
- Radiofrequency Ablations
- Kyphoplasty
If you are a diabetic
- Steroid medication can increase blood glucose levels temporarily
- You will have a glucose test prior to any treatment with a steroid
- Please monitor your glucose levels closely following your procedure (epidural steroid injection or joint injections)
- Please notify your doctor if your diabetes is poorly controlled
- Patient’s with Diabetes (insulin dependent) can be given additional instructions.
General Post Procedure Instructions
- No strenuous activity or exercise for the next 24 hours
- It takes a few days, even a week or longer, for the steroid medicine to reduce inflammation and pain
- You may experience numbness for several hours. Exercise caution in using the affected area until numbness subsides.
- A small bandage will be applied. You can remove the bandage hours post your procedure.
- Continue all medication as prescribed
- If you experience soreness at the injection site, apply cold pack intermittently, place a towel in between to protect your skin
- Do not soak is a tub or use hot packs for at least 72 hours post procedure.
Common Side effects:
- You may experience discomfort or different pain pattern for the next 3-5 days following your injection
- Local skin irritation or pain
- Flushing
- Leg cramps
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Notify your provider OR go to ER:
- Progressive weakness
- Severe pain or headache
- Loss of bladder or bowel control
- Increased weakness
- Increased numbness or tingling in your arms or legs
- Signs of infection: chills, fever, pain, redness, swelling, or drainage from injection/incision site
- Increased pain
Anticoagulation Instructions (Blood-Thinners)
Anticoagulation (blood thinners) Instructions: Always tell your provider if you are on any anticoagulation therapy. Do not hold your medication without getting approval from your prescribing doctor. Our staff will assist you with this process.
Here is a list of commonly prescribed anticoagulation medication and typical length of time to hold them prior to interventions
- Aspirin- 7 days
- Celebrex- 7 days
- Eliquis- 2 days
- Lovenox- 2 days
- Pradaxa- 5 days with STAT PTT
- Warfarin/Coumadin- 5 Day with Stat INR/PT prior to injection
- Xarleto- 3 days
- Plavix- 7 days
Notify your provider if you are on any of the following medication: Coumadin (warfarin), Ticlid (ticlopidine), Iprivask (desirudin), Refludan (lepirudin), Angiomax (bivalirudin), Novastan (argatroban, Exanta (elagatran/ximelagatran), Aggrenox (aspirin/dipyridamole), Persantine (dipyridamole), Arixtra (fondaparinux), Orgaran (danaparoid), Pavix (clopidogrel), Pletal (cilostazol), Aspirin, NSAIDs, Xarelo (rivaroxaban), Pentoxil, Pradaxa, ReoPro (abciximab), heparin, lovenox (enoxaprin), Fragmin (Dalteparin), Normiflo (Ardeparin), Aggrastat (tirofiban) and Integrilin (eptifibatide)
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Spine Specialists