Discography is used to diagnosis the cause of back pain. It’s also known as a discogram and will help determine if multiple discs are causing back pain. An injection of sterile liquid is used to cause pain in the affected discs. Using this procedure will help your specialist develop a plan of action for treatment.
A fluoroscopic X-ray will be used while the patient lies on their side or stomach. Medications to relax the patient will be given through an IV. The patient will not be “knocked out” but will instead be awake so that they can communicate to the doctor if pain occurs.
A local anesthetic will be used to help numb the area. A fluoroscope will be used to determine the proper location as the doctor inserts a guide needle into the outer edge of the disc. A smaller needle will be inserted through the guide to reach the center of the disc. Keep in mind this may be done several times to each disc the doctor suspects is the cause.
Once the needles are in position, a contrast dye is inserted into the disc. Patients will either feel pressure or pain during each injection of contrast dye. If the patient experiences pain they will need to determine if the pain is the same as the pain they have been experiencing. If the pain is the same the doctor may be able to diagnosis a bad disc.
The doctor will snap photos of each disc with the fluoroscope. The after each disc is tested the doctor will remove all needles used. A CT scan may be given to take images inside the discs.