I am lucky to have a pretty open relationship with both my PCP and my Ortho surgeon. Both have told me that the steroid injections are mostly diagnostic and are used mainly to find where the problem with the spine is. If it relieves the pain for some people, it`s a bonus. The same can be said for EMG tests. They are not that accurate at determining where and how bad the problem is, but rather if there really is a problem. This helps the doctors know if the patient really is in pain if other tests like x-rays or MRIs do not show something. Disclaimer, your case may be different.