Pain Injection Delivers Life-Changing Results
Watch Jen’s Story
Sudden and debilitating neck pain brought Jen Newcomb’s life to a screeching halt. She was in so much pain she couldn’t lift her arms to put on a shirt. She soon found out a disc in her neck was pushing on her spinal cord and there was little in the way of relief when it came to chiropractic or physical therapy options. Jen eventually consulted a neurosurgeon about her options. “Of course the answer was, oh yeah, we can fix you,” Jen recalls. “We can do surgery and we can fix you but we can’t tell you what kind of loss of range of motion you’re going to have.”
Alternatives to Surgery
Uncomfortable with the unknown of surgical results, she turned to RAYUS Radiology for another option. Jen decided to try a pain injection although she admits the idea of an injection in her neck was terrifying. RAYUS neuroradiologist Dr. Steven Pollei says a lot of patients have the same reaction:
“Everyone’s worried about having needles put in them. Some people have phobias about it. Most times after the first shot their fears are less.”
In Jen’s case, a radiologist would carefully place a needle into the back of her neck by that problem disc. Before the procedure, her doctor explained what would happen every step of the way. She knew exactly what to expect. “I specifically remember when the steroid went in,” Jen recalls. “I specifically remember him telling me you’re probably going to feel some burning, you’re going to feel some burning in your arms. Let me know if it’s too uncomfortable and sure enough, that was exactly what I felt.”
What to Expect from a Pain Injection
Though a cervical injection is considered trickier than others, Jen spent just 20 minutes on the table. And from the moment she stood up, she noticed a huge difference. She was able to get off the table, comfortably getting dressed and lifting her arms to put her shirt on. Jen says the injection changed everything:
“I mean, it changed my life. I would never think an injection would change your life, and it did.”
The pain injection at RAYUS reduced Jen’s inflammation enough to get her back to the chiropractor, and soon, feeling back to normal. Any talk of surgery was history. Dr. Pollei says Jen’s results aren’t uncommon. “We wouldn’t do the injections if we weren’t making people better because if we weren’t making people better, they wouldn’t come back and the doctors wouldn’t send them. So, it is expected to get better. To have life-changing difference, that’s not as common but to get incrementally better, that is expected.”
