Discography

Tell your doctor about any over-the-counter or prescription medications or supplements you take, or if you have any known allergies.

An X-ray is a form of radiation. It is important you let your doctor know if you are pregnant, think you could be pregnant or are nursing.

Arrange for a family member or friend to pick you up after the procedure. You may be sedated and unable to drive home afterward.

When it is time for your procedure, you will lie on your stomach or side on an X-ray table. Any hair at and around the procedure site will be shaved. Your doctor numbs the area with a local anesthetic. We can give you a sedative to relax but you must remain awake during the procedure.

Once you’re comfortable, your doctor uses fluoroscopy to guide the insertion of a needle through your skin and into a spinal disk. Fluoroscopy uses brief bursts of an X-ray beam to show internal organs and tissues moving in real time, like a video.

Next, we inject sterile dye (or contrast material) into the disk as the needle is removed. At this step, we ask you to describe if you experience any pain, and if so, where. If the disk is damaged, you may feel pain similar to what you have already been experiencing.

We repeat this process on your other disks, as needed. The procedure typically takes one hour from start to finish.

After the procedure, you may experience a small amount of pain or tenderness around the injection site. This may last several hours. Once you get home, you can treat the affected area with ice wrapped in a towel for up to 20 minutes on then 20 minutes off to help reduce pain. You may take an over-the-counter medication such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen for additional pain relief, if needed.

Limit strenuous activities for the first 24 hours after the procedure. Most people return to work, school and normal activities after one day. For some people, it takes several days for soreness to fully resolve. If you are still sore after a few days, let your doctor know.

See your doctor right away if you experience new or worsening pain, a fever over 101 degrees Fahrenheit,  or any signs of infection such as redness or swelling at or near the injection site.

Next Steps

After the procedure, your radiologist reviews your discography and sends the results to your health care provider. Your provider will discuss your results with you and recommend next steps. Many people receive their results within a week.