Side effects of CT-guided pain therapy | CT-guided pain therapy

Side effects of CT-guided pain therapy

If there are side effects due to CT-guided pain therapy, these are usually harmless and temporary. The frequently administered cortisone can cause headaches, an increase in blood pressure and blood sugar and/or reddening of the face. Further side effects of cortisone such as weight gain and fat deposition are very rarely to be expected, even with frequent treatment cycles. Another possible but rare side effect is temporary paralysis in one leg, which can last from several minutes to hours.

CT-guided pain therapy at different locations

A CT-guided pain therapy of the cervical spine is performed rather rarely. The patient assumes a supine position. The most common indication for therapy in the cervical spine is pain due to a herniated disc.

In the lumbar spine (lumbar spine), CT-guided pain therapy is usually performed due to pain caused by a herniated disc or wear and tear of the intervertebral joints (facet arthrosis). Due to the high level of stress, wear and tear and secondary diseases are particularly often localised in the lumbar spine area. The treatment is carried out in prone position.

Duration of a CT-guided pain treatment

The duration of treatment with CT-guided pain therapy is usually about five to ten minutes. Added to this can be waiting times and the time for the medical consultation before the first treatment is carried out. It should also be taken into account that the patient should remain in the practice for 15 to 30 minutes after the end of the therapy for monitoring. Those who wish to drive themselves should wait at least 30 to 60 minutes.

Costs of CT-guided pain therapy

The costs for a single injection in CT-guided pain therapy are in the range of about 100€ to 250€. The costs for computer tomography can be added to this. Since the costs of CT-guided pain therapy are only covered by the statutory health insurance under certain circumstances, many practices offer the treatment as a so-called IGEL service (individual health service). The resulting costs must be borne entirely by the patient.

Are the costs of CT-guided pain therapy partially covered by the statutory health insurance?

The costs of CT-guided pain therapy are only covered by the statutory health insurance under certain circumstances. On the one hand, a doctor with the additional title “special pain therapy” must issue the referral. If a referral is made by doctors without this designation, the costs are not covered, even if they are specialists in orthopaedics or neurology.

In addition, costs are only reimbursed by the SHI system if CT-guided pain therapy is used for facet therapy, i.e. for pain due to a disease of the intervertebral joints. Pain due to a herniated disc is therefore not accepted for reimbursement by the statutory health insurance. The treatment can then only be carried out if the costs are covered by the patient. In this case no referral from a pain therapist is necessary.