How it works
How a discogram works
A discogram looks at the discs between the bones of your spine. A needle is placed into the disc being checked, and a contrast dye is injected. The dye makes the disc show up on x-rays and can show a tear or rupture. It also puts pressure in the disc. If you feel the same pain you have been having, that disc is likely a source of your pain.
A discogram is a test, not a treatment. It can give a closer look at a disc than a standard MRI sometimes can, and it can help your provider plan the next steps in your care.
Who may benefit
Who may be a candidate for a discogram
A discogram may be used when back pain may be coming from an injured, torn, ruptured or wearing-down disc, and the cause is hard to pin down. It may also be used to help decide whether surgery on a disc should be considered.
Because a discogram is an invasive test, it is usually done only after more conservative treatments have been tried. You may be a candidate if you have back pain that may come from an injured or wearing disc and the cause is still unclear. An MRI or CT scan may be suggested first.
Who should not have a discogram
Some people should not have a discogram. These include people with an allergy to iodine or contrast dye, people with an active infection and people who have not yet tried non-invasive pain care. Taking blood thinners does not automatically rule out the test. Some patients stop them before the test, and your provider decides this case by case. Tell your provider about your health and medicines so the team can decide whether a discogram is safe for you.
What to expect
What to expect before, during and after a discogram
Before your test
Your provider reviews your history and imaging and talks with you about whether the test is right for you. Share all your medicines and allergies, especially any blood thinners and any allergy to dye. If sedation is used, you will need someone to drive you home.
During the test
A discogram is an outpatient procedure. Your provider will discuss sedation options for your procedure at your visit. A physician guides a needle into the disc and injects the dye. You will be asked whether you feel your usual pain and how it compares. Then the needle is removed and x-rays are taken. Some patients may also receive a corticosteroid injection after the test; your provider decides this case by case.
After your test
You will be watched for a short time before you go home. Some soreness or tenderness at the injection site is normal and usually eases after a while. Ice may help. Call our office if you have severe back pain or a fever after the procedure.
Results and limitations
What the results may show
A special dye is placed in the disc and viewed on x-ray, and your response helps guide the next step in your care.
A discogram is a test, so it is not expected to have a lasting effect on its own. If a steroid injection is given afterward, how long it helps varies from person to person. Follow-up steroid injections are usually limited to no more than three a year.
Risks and side effects
Risks and side effects of a discogram
Because the test is meant to reproduce your pain, you will likely feel pain in the disc during the procedure. Irritation of a nerve is also possible but is not expected to be common. Other risks of an injection into the spine can include bleeding, infection and allergic reaction.
Please talk with your provider about the risks that apply to you before deciding on a discogram.
Common questions
Questions about discograms
Your provider can talk through your own plan at your visit.
What is a discogram and how does it work?
A discogram is a diagnostic test for the spinal discs. A contrast dye is injected into a disc, and x-rays are taken. The dye shows the disc’s shape, and the pain you feel during the test helps show whether that disc is the source of your pain.
Who may be a candidate for a discogram?
People with back pain that may come from an injured or wearing disc, and whose pain has not responded to more conservative care, may be candidates. An MRI or CT scan may be suggested first. People with a dye allergy or an active infection should not have the test. If you take blood thinners, your provider decides case by case whether to stop them before the test.
How long does the procedure take, and is it painful?
A discogram often takes about 45 minutes, but the time varies with the number of discs checked. Because the test is meant to bring on your usual pain, you will likely feel pain in the disc. Your provider will discuss sedation options for your procedure at your visit.
What is recovery like, and when can I drive or go back to work?
You will be watched for a short time before you go home. If sedation is used, you will need someone to drive you home. Soreness at the injection site usually eases after a while, and ice may help. Your provider will tell you when you can return to work and your usual activities.
How long might the effect last?
The test itself is for diagnosis, so no lasting effect is expected. If a steroid injection is given afterward, the effect varies from person to person and may last for different amounts of time. Follow-up injections are usually limited to no more than three a year.
Clinical references
Individual results are not guaranteed and may vary from person to person. This page shares general information. It is not medical advice and does not replace a visit with a qualified clinician.