Spinal Injections in Dubai for Back and Neck Pain
Who you'll see
Dr Sherief Elsayed
Consultant Spinal Surgeon, FRCS (Tr & Orth), UK-trained
Spinal injections deliver medicine, or in one case a controlled radiofrequency current, to the part of the spine thought to be causing pain. Some are mainly a test, to find out where pain comes from. Others are a treatment, usually alongside physiotherapy. None of them cures wear and tear or a disc problem, and not every back or neck pain needs one.
Dr Sherief Elsayed performs the spinal injections on this page himself, at American Hospital Dubai (trigger point injections are done in clinic during your appointment), and as a spinal surgeon he can also advise on surgery.
Which injection might fit your symptoms?
| Main symptom | Likely source | Injection that may be considered |
|---|---|---|
| Ache in the neck or lower back, worse leaning back, looking up or twisting | Facet joints | Facet joint injection or medial branch block, then possibly radiofrequency denervation |
| Leg pain (sciatica) from a disc prolapse | An irritated nerve root in the lower back | Lumbar epidural (interlaminar or caudal) or transforaminal epidural |
| Leg pain where the level is unclear, or before surgery | One specific nerve root in the lower back | Selective nerve root block |
| Pain low in the back and buttock, often on one side | Sacroiliac joint | Sacroiliac joint injection |
| Tender, tight knots in the back muscles | Muscle | Trigger point injection |
This is a guide only: the source of pain is confirmed at assessment.
Facet joint injections and medial branch blocks
The facet joints are small paired joints at the back of each level of the spine, from the neck to the lower back. When worn or inflamed, they can cause a deep ache that is often worse when you lean backwards, look up or twist.
An intra-articular injection places local anaesthetic and a steroid inside the joint. A medial branch block places local anaesthetic only, with no steroid, on the small nerves that carry pain from the joint. The block is mainly a test: if your usual pain eases substantially while the anaesthetic works, the facet joints are the likely source.
Read more: facet joint injections in Dubai.
Radiofrequency denervation (RFA)
Radiofrequency denervation, also called radiofrequency ablation or RFA, uses a special needle and a controlled current to heat the medial branch nerves so that they stop carrying pain signals from the facet joints. Dr Elsayed performs RFA in both the neck and the lower back. For chronic low back pain from the facet joints, NICE supports considering RFA when non-surgical treatment has not worked and a medial branch block has been positive (NICE NG59). RFA does not change the joint itself. The nerves gradually regrow, so relief is not permanent, and the procedure can be repeated if it helped before.
Read more: how radiofrequency denervation works.
Lumbar epidural steroid injections (interlaminar and caudal)
An epidural steroid injection places a steroid and local anaesthetic into the epidural space, the layer around the nerves inside the spinal canal. In the lower back there are two common routes:
- Interlaminar: the needle enters between two vertebrae at the back, near the level of the problem.
- Caudal: the needle enters through a small natural opening at the base of the spine, and the medicine spreads upwards.
Epidurals are used mainly for leg pain from an irritated nerve, such as sciatica from a disc prolapse, rather than for back pain on its own. NICE advises considering them for acute and severe sciatica (NICE NG59).
Read more: epidural steroid injections in Dubai and sciatica treatment in Dubai.
Transforaminal epidurals and selective nerve root blocks (lower back)
A transforaminal epidural places medicine at the foramen, the opening at the side of the spine where a single nerve root leaves the spinal canal. When a small volume targets one nerve, it is called a selective nerve root block (SNRB). Dr Elsayed performs these injections in the lower back only, for leg pain. They have two uses:
- Treatment: a steroid with local anaesthetic can calm an inflamed nerve root and ease leg pain.
- Diagnosis: if numbing one nerve relieves your usual leg pain, that nerve is probably the source. This helps when scans show changes at more than one level, and when surgery is being planned.
For arm pain from a trapped nerve in the neck, treatment usually starts with non-surgical care, with surgery considered if needed; see neck pain treatment in Dubai.
Read more: herniated disc.
Sacroiliac joint injections in Dubai
The sacroiliac joints connect the base of the spine to the pelvis on each side. Pain from them is usually felt low in the back and in the buttock, and sometimes spreads into the thigh. An X-ray-guided injection of local anaesthetic and, where appropriate, a steroid into the joint can help show whether it is the source of pain and may ease it for a time.
Trigger point injections for muscle-related back pain
Trigger points are tight, tender knots in a muscle that can cause local and spreading pain. A trigger point injection places local anaesthetic with a steroid into the knot to help the muscle relax. It is done in clinic during your appointment, without X-ray guidance, and is usually combined with stretching and physiotherapy. It does not treat nerve or joint pain.
What injections can and cannot do
An injection can help confirm where pain comes from, so that treatment targets the right structure, and it can reduce pain for a period, so that you can do the physiotherapy and exercise that bring longer-term improvement. It cannot reverse wear and tear, arthritis or a disc prolapse, and it cannot promise a result: some people get little or no benefit, and relief is usually temporary.
NICE (the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) supports considering radiofrequency denervation for chronic low back pain from the facet joints when non-surgical treatment has not worked and a medial branch block has been positive, and epidural injections for acute and severe sciatica (NICE NG59). That is why the first step is always an assessment.
Before, during and after
- Before: bring your scans and a list of your medicines. If you take a blood thinner, the plan is decided case by case and agreed with the doctor who prescribes it; never stop it on your own. If you have diabetes, tell us: after a steroid injection, check your blood sugar more often for a few days, and the injection may be postponed if your blood sugar control is poor. Tell us if you are or could be pregnant, because X-ray-guided injections are usually avoided in pregnancy. Tell us too if you have an infection, or are allergic to local anaesthetic, contrast dye or steroids.
- During: injections other than trigger point injections are done at American Hospital Dubai. Facet, epidural, nerve root and sacroiliac injections and RFA use X-ray (fluoroscopy) guidance, so that the needle is positioned accurately. The skin is numbed with local anaesthetic and you stay awake. Light sedation is available on request, but never for diagnostic test blocks, because it can make the result harder to interpret (Cohen 2020).
- After: you rest for a short time and go home the same day. Do not drive that day: arrange for someone else to drive you home. Soreness where the needle went in is common for a few days. Follow-up is arranged at your consultation.
Risks
Serious complications from image-guided spinal injections are uncommon, but no injection is free of risk. Possible effects include soreness or bruising, a temporary flare of pain, and numbness while the local anaesthetic works. A steroid can cause flushing, disturbed sleep or a temporary rise in blood sugar. Infection, bleeding and, after an epidural, headache are uncommon; nerve injury is rare. Dr Elsayed will go through the risks of your procedure with you.
Fees and insurance
Fees depend on the procedure and your insurance; OrthoPro reception can check your cover and any pre-approval.
When to seek urgent care
Call 998 (UAE ambulance) or go to the nearest emergency department if you have back or neck pain with any of these:
- new difficulty passing urine, or loss of bladder or bowel control;
- numbness between the legs or around the back passage (cauda equina syndrome);
- weakness in the legs or arms that is getting worse;
- fever, or feeling generally unwell, with spinal pain;
- after an injection: fever, redness or discharge at the injection site, a severe headache, or new weakness that does not wear off as the local anaesthetic fades.
Table of Contents
Your consultation with Dr Sherief Elsayed
Dr Sherief Elsayed is a UK-trained Consultant Spinal Surgeon, FRCS (Tr & Orth). At your first appointment he takes a full history, examines you and reviews your scans. He then explains whether an injection is likely to help, which one, and the alternatives, including physiotherapy and, where relevant, surgery. If an injection is unlikely to help you, he will say so.
He sees patients at OrthoPro Clinic, Dubai Science Park, and at UPANDRUNNING on Al Wasl Road. To book, call OrthoPro Clinic on 04 835 9000, send a WhatsApp message to 052 105 2798, or request an appointment.
Medically reviewed by Dr Sherief Elsayed, UK-trained Consultant Spinal Surgeon, FRCS (Tr & Orth). Last reviewed 14 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
It depends on where the pain comes from. Facet joint injections and medial branch blocks target the small joints at the back of the spine. Epidurals and nerve root blocks target an irritated nerve causing leg pain. Sacroiliac joint injections target the joint between the spine and pelvis, and trigger point injections target tight muscle knots. An assessment comes first.
The skin is numbed with local anaesthetic first. You may feel pressure and brief discomfort while the needle is positioned. Soreness at the injection site for a few days afterwards is common. Light sedation is available on request, except for diagnostic test blocks.
It varies with the injection and the person. Local anaesthetic is short-acting, which is why it is used as a test. Steroid effects vary and are usually temporary. Radiofrequency denervation lasts longer but is not permanent: in studies of neck RFA, the median time before pain returned was 6 to 14 months (Hurley 2022).
Common effects are soreness at the injection site and a temporary flare of pain. Less common are bleeding, infection, allergic reactions and, with steroids, flushing or a rise in blood sugar. Nerve injury is rare. Your own risks are discussed before you consent.
Yes. The skin is numbed with local anaesthetic and you stay awake. If you are anxious, light sedation to help you relax is available on request, but not for diagnostic test blocks: guidelines advise against routine sedation for these, because it can make the result harder to interpret (Cohen 2020).
Not always. Dr Elsayed decides based on your symptoms and examination. An MRI can rule out other causes, such as a disc prolapse pressing on a nerve, and is usually needed before epidurals and nerve root blocks.
No. You should not drive on the day of the injection, so please arrange for someone else to drive you home.
Cover depends on your policy. Fees depend on the procedure and your insurance; OrthoPro reception can check your cover and any pre-approval.