3 Common Fears about Pain Injections
Mar 14, 2016
Pain injections are scary for many patients – especially those who have never had one before. As with any medical procedure, facing your fears and dealing with them head on will reduce your anxiety and lead to a more positive experience. With that in mind, this article will discuss some of the common fears patients experience before getting a pain management injection.
This is probably the most common fear that patients have when considering injections. Fear of needles is almost universal and nearly everyone has had a traumatic experience getting injections as a child. However, compared to vaccinations, pain management injections (nerve blocks, epidurals, cortisone shots, etc.) involve an anesthetic prior to injection. In other words, the area of injection will be numbed before the injection, which reduces overall pain.
It’s fairly common knowledge that you should never reuse needles. Hospitals and clinics have strict policies in place to make sure that a patient is never administered an injection with a used needle. Even so, this is still a fear that many patients experience. If you are anxious about this, talk to your physician.
It may not be the most common fear, but some patients are concerned that their physician may inject the wrong area. While mistakes do happen from time to time, a physician injecting the completely wrong area of a patient’s body is not common. However, this is all the more reason to go with a pain management doctor with a lot of experience and a great track record.
The pain management physicians at Advanced Spine & Pain Clinics of MN have been performing diagnostic and pain injections for a combined twenty years. With that level of experience, you can put your injection fears at ease. Set up an appointment with one of our knowledgeable pain management doctors today to talk about your situation.