Carolina Spine, Pain and Rehabilitation, PLLC

• Follow these instructions carefully.  Failure to follow these instructions can result in your procedure being rescheduled or canceled.
• You must have someone 18 years old or older to drive you home. Anesthesia and pain medicine can make it unsafe for you to drive or get home on your own. 
• Your are not to eat or drink for 6 hours before the procedure. 
• Any medications that require you to eat prior to taking them will need to be held until after your appointment. 
• If you take a blood thinner and have not been advised to stop this medication, please contact our office at  704-864-3300. (These medicines include aspirin and other blood thinners.) Make sure that you understand exactly what your doctor wants you to do. Do not stop taking this medication unless you have been advised by your Doctor. 
• Tell your doctor ALL the medicines and natural health products you take. Some may increase the risk of problems during your procedure. Your doctor will tell you if you should stop taking any of them before the procedure and how soon to do it.

            When should you contact your Doctor?

• You have questions or concerns.
•  You don't understand how to prepare for your procedure.
•  You become ill before the procedure  (such as fever, flu, or a cold).   If you have been running a fever 24 hours prior to your procedure.
• If you are on a blood thinner, antibiotic or if you have had any recent vaccinations, please contact the office. 
• You need to reschedule or have changed your mind about having the procedure.   Contact the office at 704-864-3300.

                                Lab Orders (URINE DRUG SCREENS)

• YOU MUST COMPLETE ALL ORDERED URINE DRUG SCREENS WITHIN 24 HOURS OR THIS WILL RESULT IN A FAILED URINE DRUG SCREEN.   Take your order to the lab listed below or you may take to a lab or your choice within 24 hours of being ordered.  

                       LAB CORP

                      640 Summit Crossing Place, Suite 206, Gastonia, NC 28054

                                                       704-854-9497           

  Hours of Operation: 

• Monday: 07:30 AM - 05:00 PM
• Tuesday: 07:30 AM - 05:00 PM
• Wednesday: 07:30 AM - 05:00 PM
• Thursday: 07:30 AM - 05:00 PM
• Friday: 07:30 AM - 05:00 PM
• Saturday: CLOSED
• Sunday: CLOSED

                   Lab Orders (Blood Work)

•  You have been ordered to undergo Lab work from your provider.
• At your convivence but prior to your next appointment, please take the order given to you in the office to the local hospital outpatient facility 

CaroMont Regional Medical Center (The Professional Building)

Address: 2555 Court Dr Suite 100, Gastonia, NC 28054

Phone: 704-834-9830

Hours:
Monday 7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Tuesday7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Wednesday7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Thursday7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Friday7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Saturday- Closed

Sunday- Closed 

                 X-Ray Orders

• You have been ordered to undergo X-rays from your provider.
• At your convivence but prior to your next appointment, please take the order given to you in the office to the local hospital outpatient facility 

                  CaroMont Imaging Services located at these locations;

1212 Spruce Street
Belmont, NC 28012
Phone: 704.829.7779

620 Summit Crossing Place, Suite 106
Gastonia, NC 28054
Phone: 704.671.7730

2525 Court Drive
Gastonia, NC 28054
Phone: 704.834.2000

451 East Charlotte Avenue
Mount Holly, NC 28120
Phone: 980.834.2266

You may take this order to any outpatient facility of your choice if you reside out of town.  Any further questions, please contact our office at                  704-864-3300.

Electromyography  (EMG) and Nerve Conduction Studies (NCS)  are diagnostic tests that help evaluate the body's nerve and muscle function and assess for neurological disease.  

• EMG- Measures how muscles respond to electrical activity and how much electrical activity a muscle contraction produces. During a needle EMG, a needle electrode is inserted into a muscle to record its electrical activity. A healthcare provider may recommend an EMG if you have symptoms like muscle weakness, numbness, or tingling. 
• NCS- Measures the flow of electrical current through a nerve before it reaches a muscle. During an NCS, a nerve is stimulated with a mild electrical impulse and the resulting electrical activity is recorded by an electrode. The speed of the electrical impulses is calculated by measuring the distance between electrodes and the time it takes for the impulses to travel. An NCS can help identify nerve damage or disease.  

                   ON THE DAY OF YOUR SCHEDULED EMG/NCS TEST

• You may eat and drink normally for this procedure.  No driver will be needed.  
• If we are testing your upper extremities (neck/arms/hands); please wear a short sleeve shirt
• If we are testing your lower extremities (low back/legs/feet); please wear pants or shorts that will pull above your knees.  
• DO NOT WEAR ANY LOTIONS, OILS, CREAMS OR POWDERS ON THE DAY OF YOUR SCHEDULED PROCEDURE. 

EPIDURAL STEROID INEJCTION

• Using Fluoroscopic visualization, a local anesthetic is given to numb the surface of the skin. A spinal needle is inserted into the epidural space.  A pain medication is then injected.  A small volume of contrast is injected next to verify the correct location of the needle.  An X-ray is taken to verify the needle placement.  Then a cortisone preparation is injected in the epidural space to help reduce any inflammatory process present that is causing your pain.  This procedure is done in a series of three injections and you may not experience complete pain relief with the first injection.  This will be a series of three injections, spaced 3-4 weeks apart.  A DRIVER IS NEEDED and you must not eat or drink 6 hours prior to this procedure. 

FACET JOINT INJECTION

• Using Fluoroscopic visualization, a spinal needle is passed through the skin into the facet joints.  Once the needle is in the joint, a small volume of contrast agent is injected to verify the location of the needle.  Then a combination of local anesthetic and cortisone medication is injected.   The anesthetic will put the facet joint to sleep and the cortisone preparation will decrease the inflammatory activity in or around the particular facet joint. Initially, this will be a series of four nerve blocks (two on each side) spaced 3-4 weeks apart.  Once you have finished your series of four nerve blocks, you will be evaluated for a radiofrequency nerve ablation.  A DRIVER IS NEEDED and you must not eat or drink 6 hours prior to this procedure.

SELECTIVE NERVE ROOT BLOCK

• Using Fluoroscopic visualization, a local anesthetic is given to numb the surface of the skin. A spinal needle is inserted by the nerve that is causing your pain.  A pain medication is then injected.  A small volume of contrast is injected next to verify the correct location of the needle.  An X-ray is taken to verify the needle placement.  Then a cortisone preparation is injected in the epidural space to help reduce any inflammatory process present that is causing your pain.  This procedure is done in a series of three injections and you may not experience complete pain relief with the first injection.  This will be a series of three injections, spaced 3-4 weeks apart.  A DRIVER IS NEEDED and you must not eat or drink 6 hours prior to this procedure. 

SACROILIAC JOINT INJECTION

•  The sacroiliac (SI) joint is a synovial joint that connects the pelvis and spine, located between the sacrum and ilium bones.  This joint is a potential source of back, buttock and leg pain.  Using Fluoroscopic visualization, a local anesthetic is given to numb the surface of the skin. A needle is inserted into the joint that is causing your pain. Then a combination of local anesthetic and cortisone medication is injected.   The medication preparation will numb the nerve and decrease the inflammatory activity in or around the particular joint. NO DRIVER IS NEEDED AND YOU MAY EAT PRIOR TO THIS PROCEDURE.

JOINT INJECTION/ULTRASOUND

• Using ultrasound visualization and guidance, a local anesthetic is given to numb the surface of the skin.  A needle is inserted into the joint that is causing the pain.  Then a combination of local anesthetic and cortisone medication is injected.  The medication preparation will decrease the inflammatory process in or around the particular joint. NO DRIVER IS NEEDED AND YOU MAY EAT PRIOR TO THIS PROCEDURE.

*IF YOU ARE ON A BLOOD THINNER, ANTIBIOTIC OR IF YOU HAVE HAD ANY RECENT VACCINATIONS, PLEASE INFORM THE NURSE*