I heard from my regular pain doctors nurse today. She will ask him about what this new doctor said.... and see if I should come in to discuss etc... or go directly to the doctor that he has do his SCS in the nearby city.

She said it all did not sound right to her. She said from how I looked the last time she saw me, she did not think I was ready for the SCS yet.

She did say my doctor is taking classes in facet injections, but would send me to the same doctor who does the SCS for epidural infusion or facet injections.
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Amber, I found this info on facet injections. In my case, I think the neuro wants to try it because there is some significant arthritis in my C-area of my neck, and possibly some deformity. I don't fully understand the exact problem there. I know that upper back/neck/shoulder pain was what sent me to physical therapy where I was injured last year that led to this round of RSD... so he thinks that treating this area may relieve some of my pain - even though it is not RSD pain. Sort of like how trigger point injections help me because they help my myofacial pain.

Jules

"What is a facet injection?

It is an injection of both a long-lasting steroid “cortisone” (like triamcinolone or methylprednisolone) and an anesthetic numbing agent (like lidocaine or bupivacaine) into a specific facet joint of your spine. The injection can be placed inside the joint capsule or in the tissue surrounding the joint capsule. Corticosteroids reduce inflammation, and they’re very effective when delivered directly into the part of your back that is causing pain. Corticosteroids are different than the anabolic steroids that athletes may use.

The facet joint is the moveable joint of the spine that connects one vertebra to another (see Anatomy of the Spine). This procedure is different than an epidural steroid injection, which injects the steroid into the epidural space of the spinal cord.

Facet injections may provide relief of pain and inflammation as well as provide more diagnostic information for your physician. The injection “blocks” the pain in much the same way as your dentist would use an anesthetic injection to block pain in your jaw before working on your teeth. Injections into joints or nerves are sometimes called “blocks.” Facet blocks can be used as a diagnostic test to determine if you will benefit from a facet rhizotomy. The pain relief can last from days to years, or in some cases, permanently."