Shot or Not: Should You Get an Injection for Spine Pain?

Bottom Line: You probably know someone who has received a recommendation from their medical doctor to sign on for a spinal injection to treat their neck or back pain. Maybe you’ve been down this road yourself! What you may not know is that recent research indicates patients should think twice before scheduling that next shot. Not only have spinal injections been shown to increase the risk of experiencing a spinal fracture afterwards by 21%, but also that they do not provide as much pain relief as chiropractic adjustments. That’s right – researchers have found that chiropractic care can offer more significant relief than riskier treatments like spinal injections.

Why it Matters: Whether you do decide to get that injection or not, you should be integrating ongoing chiropractic care into your pain relief treatment plan. Studies have shown that patients who receive chiropractic care in conjunction with their spinal injections report more relief than those receiving injections alone. If you’re going to spend the time and money, not to mention take on the added risk of fracture, you’ll want to ensure you’re getting your best results from those injections by being smart by staying well-adjusted with chiropractic care.

▪ Chiropractic care can provide up to 10% more pain relief than spinal injections alone.

▪ Spinal injections increase the risk of a subsequent spinal fracture by 21%.

▪ Chiropractic care can help maximize the pain relieving results of your spinal injections.

Next Steps: Not knowing the science leads to increased pain, increased costs, and excessive problems. We’re here to help you, your friends, family, and coworkers. Got questions? Ask us.

Science Source: Spinal Manipulation Post-epidural Injection for Lumbar and Cervical Radiculopathy: A Retrospective Case Series. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. September 2004 Symptomatic MRI-Confirmed Lumbar Disk Herniation Patients: A Comparative Effectiveness Prospective Observational Study of 2 Age- and Sex-Matched Cohorts Treated with Either High-Velocity, Low Amplitude Spinal Manipulative Therapy or Imaging-Guided Lumbar Nerve Root Injections. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. May 2013 A Retrospective Analysis of Vertebral Body Fractures Following Epidural Steroid Injections. The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. June 2013