How long does discography take?
Discography takes about 30 to 45 minutes, depending on how many levels are injected. What is actually injected? The injection consists of x-ray dye (contrast). It is usually mixed with some antibiotics to prevent infection. Will the injections hurt? The procedure involves inserting a needle through the skin and deeper tissues (like a “tetanus shot”), so there is some discomfort involved. However, y our doctor will numb the skin and deeper tissues with a local anesthetic using a very thin needle prior to inserting the needle into the disc. Most patients also receive intravenous sedation and analgesia which makes the procedure easy to tolerate. You may have a flare-up of your back pain after the injection, but this gets better in a day or two and can usually be managed with ice packs and oral pain medication. Will I be “put out” for this procedure? No. This procedure is done under local anesthesia. Injection of a medicine like Novocaine-Lidocaine is performed to numb the skin. Most of th
