Complications of common selective spinal injections: prevention and management.

Selective spinal injections are being performed with increasing frequency in the management of acute and chronic pain syndromes. Because these procedures require a needle to be placed in or around the spine, there is always a risk of complications. For this reason, prevention, early recognition, and management of complications are paramount to patient care. Physician training and patient preparation and monitoring are required to maximize the safety and efficacy of the specific spinal procedures. This focused review article discusses the primary general and specific complications of spinal injection procedures as well as treatments.