What is Costo-vertebral Joint Injection?
Costo-vertebral joint injection, also known as a costovertebral block, is performed to alleviate upper back pain caused by damage or injury to the costovertebral joint. The costovertebral joint is located on either side of the vertebrae and connects the heads of the ribs with the vertebral bodies.
A costovertebral joint injection is used for diagnostic purposes to identify the source of upper back pain and also for a therapeutic purpose to decrease pain.
How is the Procedure Performed?
During the procedure, you will lie on your stomach on an X-ray table. After sterilizing the injection area, a local anesthetic is administered to the skin over the mid-back region. A thin needle is inserted directly into the joint, under fluoroscopic X-ray guidance. This is followed by the injection of contrast material through the needle to confirm the positioning of the needle. A local anesthetic and steroid mix is then injected slowly into the joint to reduce pain and inflammation.
The costovertebral joint injection does not cure the underlying condition; it only provides temporary pain relief which allows for a pain-free rehabilitation program to improve joint motion and function.
Related Topics
- Spinal Cord Stimulator
- Spinal Cord (DCS) & Peripheral Stimulation
- Neuromodulation
- Spine Injections
- Epidural Spinal Injection
- Caudal Epidural Injection
- Transforaminal Epidural Block
- Spinal Nerve Blocks
- Facet Injections
- Medial Branch Block Injections
- Radiofrequency Ablation
- Piriformis Muscle Injection
- Costo-vertebral Joint Injection
- Dorsal Column Stimulator
