Patients receive several different types of injections at the Pain and Wellness Center. Depending on which injection you’ve had, the amount of time for pain relief will vary. An injection with an anesthetic drug may last for several hours, while an injection containing cortisone may last for several days, or indefinitely. For example: injecting the facet joints with an anesthetic drug may provide pain reduction while the area injected is still numb. A cortisone injection into the epidural space, however, can give long-term relief of pain, as cortisone is an anti-inflammatory drug.