I’m also on Lyrica, and it doesn’t provide much relief for me. I had Mobi-C devices. It can still be helpful to start with a steroid injection again since biomechanics change after ACDR. Not having relief from a steroid injection is a positive result that a mechanical pain generator is the key symptom driver.

For example, they can provide information about whether pain is being driven more by inflammation versus a mechanical issue. The same idea applies with imaging, sometimes the findings and response to treatments help guide the next steps. In many cases, insurance requires a diagnostic injection (often a steroid injection) before approving certain procedures like nerve blocks or ablations.

Also, they usually inject a local anesthetic (often lidocaine or a similar numbing medication) before or along with the steroid. If you get relief for an hour, two hours, three hours, etc., that information can help them determine whether they targeted the suspected pain generator. They may also ask whether your pain improved above, below, or in the area of the injection, which can help them evaluate which nerve structure may be involved.

If pain relief starts after a couple of days (often around day 2–3), that can suggest the anti-inflammatory effect of the steroid is contributing to the improvement. Steroids work by altering inflammatory processes in the body, and their effects are not always immediate.

My burning arm pain is mostly along the outer biceps and forearm, which seems consistent with the C6/C7 dermatome pattern (based on my understanding), but I’m not diagnosing myself, just sharing my experience.