If your husband has a herniated disc at C5-6, there are specific findings that would be expected on a history and physical examination to match this disorder. Corroboration with a selective nerve root block would confirm the diagnosis of a C6 radiculopathy (compression of this particular nerve root). The most important diagnostic finding is relief for the first three hours after this nerve block. See “Pain diary” for explanation.
Even though long term relief is a goal of injections, long term relief is not diagnostic for the injection. This is somewhat hard to understand but injected steroid does not yield short term relief. That is the job of the anesthetic (lidocaine) injected at the same time that the steroid is injected. The steroid takes between 24-48 hours to dissolve out of the particulate form to be effective and may cover a much larger area than the original location of the injection. This is why long term relief but not short term relief means the injection did not diagnose the problem.
Dr. Corenman
PLEASE REMEMBER, THIS FORUM IS MEANT TO PROVIDE GENERAL INFORMATION ON SPINE ANATOMY, CONDITIONS AND TREATMENTS. TO GET AN ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS, YOU MUST VISIT A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL IN PERSON.
Donald Corenman, MD, DC is a highly-regarded spine surgeon, considered an expert in the area of neck and back pain. Trained as both a Medical Doctor and Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Corenman earned academic appointments as Clinical Assistant Professor and Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and his research on spine surgery and rehabilitation has resulted in the publication of multiple peer-reviewed articles and two books.
