Spine & Pain Care of Oklahoma

Pre Operation Instructions

After Your Procedure

If you have any type of infection, recent illness or have been prescribed antibiotics 7 days prior to your injection please notify the office at: (405) 840-5100 immediately. For your safety we will not perform any procedures while your are ill and will need to reschedule.

Nothing to eat or drink 6 hours before your injection.You may take the medications with a sip of water.

You must bring a driver. You may not drive yourself. Your driver must be present at the time of the check in or your procedure will be cancelled.

No smoking on the day of your procedure.

Please make sure to take your blood pressure and/or diabetic medications the day of your procedure with a small sip of water. Please check with your doctor about insulin intake if you are fasting.

Arrive at Spine and Pain Care of Oklahoma 15 minutes prior to your procedure.

All blood thining medications, including over the counter medications,must be discontinued 5-7 days prior to your procedure date. Please do not hesitate to contact our office at (405) 840-5100 if you have any doubts as to whether a medication is a blood thinner.

The following is a list of blood thinners as a reference:

Plavix, Pradaxa, Coumadin, Xarelto, Effient, Warfarin, Heparin, Lovenox, Aspirin, Ecotrin,

Ibuprofen, Mobic, Meloxicam, Advil, Motrin, Aleve, Naproxen, Naprosyn, Celebrex, Bextra, Excedrin, Bufferin, Fiorinal, Relafen,

Dipyridamole, Ticlodipine, Aggrenox, Persantine.

Over the counter herbs:

Dong Quai, Ginko, Vitamin E, Ginger, St.John's Wort,Grape Seed Extract, Garlic, Ginseng, Feverfew.

Different injection procedures will have all, some or none of the following considerations:

Numbness is common if a local anesthetic was used. Use caution with any area that is numb. Do not walk or drive with a numb leg, or apply heat or ice to the area until feeling has returned.

Soreness is common at the injection site after any type of injection.You may put ice on the area.

Mild headache may be from steroids if they were used. An NSAID or tylenol may be taken for the headache unless you have another injection scheduled within a week. If you have a moderate to severe headaches with or without nausea and vomiting, please call our office as soon as possible.

Increase of the pain level or change in location may happen on the first 24 hours after the injection/block.

Hot flashes, facial redness, mood changes, increased appetite and menstrual irregularities may happen for the first few days to weeks post injection/block.

Increased blood sugar - If you are a diabetic your blood sugar may be higher than normal for the first 2-4 days after an injection/block. Please contact your primary care provider for any advice on what to do if your blood sugar gets too high.

Activity - Injections/blocks often do not restrict activity. Use your judgment and be careful not to overdo it just because you may be feeling better; this can prevent re-injury.

Pain relief after steroid injections may be noticed

approximately 7-14 days after the injection/block.

Please call our office at (405) 840-5100 if you experience any of the following:

Redness, swelling or drainage around/from the injection/block site.
Persistent bleeding from the injection/block site.
Severe headache (with or without nausea and vomiting).
Fever, chills, or stiff neck that was not there before the injection.
Weakness that was not there before the injection.
Bowel or bladder incontinence that was not there before the injection.