Discography Procedure
Discography
A discography, not to be confused with a collection of your favorite musician’s albums, is a diagnostic procedure used to determine the health of your spinal discs. The discs in your spine are cartilage between your vertebrae that work to hold your spine together, as well as provide flexibility and shock-absorption. After years of wear-and-tear, you might experience back pain, but it is difficult to determine which disc is having issues from pain alone, which is where a discography helps.
This is a diagnostic procedure that is done under mild sedation with use of local anesthetic. The doctor will have you lie on your stomach and, after the needle is correctly positioned into each affected disc, a dye is injected into your spinal discs one at a time. If you feel pressure or reproduction of your pain, this is a sign of painful disc condition.
This is considered a safe procedure with minimal risks, which include bleeding, headache, meningitis, and post-procedure pain. Let your doctor know if you are on blood thinners, are immunosuppressed, have an active infection, or are pregnant. After being briefly monitored once the procedure is complete, you will undergo a spinal CT scan before leaving to better assess the dye spread in each disc, which will provide further diagnostic information.
While not a treatment, a discography is often the first step on your journey to a pain-free life. At Mountain View Pain Center, our doctors are double board-certified in pain management and will work to help you reduce or eliminate your pain. Contact us today!
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