Jeff Gordon: Gets a needle's worth of back medication, to block the pain

  

  
Jeff Gordon gets an injection of back pain medication to calm his aching back (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
  

  By Mike Mulhern
  mikemulhern.net

  
   CONCORD
   Jeff Gordon finally did something about his aching back -- surgery.
   After worsening back pain the past couple of years, the NASCAR tour points leader has been griping all spring about the issue.
   Now 'the procedure' he had Monday, he hopes, will solve part of the problem.
   Saturday night Gordon was battling for the lead in the final laps of the NASCAR Sprint All-star race when he crashed with Kyle Busch and Ryan Newman.
   Next he'll be running in Sunday night's 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway, certainly a challenge, even for the healthy.
     "I had a facet block procedure done on my back on Monday, and it went well," Gordon says.
     "I was a little sore after the procedure, but I'll definitely take that brief bit of soreness if it stops the recurring back pain I've had.
    "I hope that will end the back issues I've been having, but it's too early to tell if that fixed the problem."
    Gordon may get an inkling in a Wednesday night karting event for the Jeff Gordon Foundation. "That event is always a lot of fun, and it shouldn't be a strain on my back," Gordon said. "Even running karts I've felt some discomfort in my back, so that event may provide an early indication of how well the procedure worked."
    Gordon will be back in Steve Letarte's Chevy Thursday.
    "This is a grueling race -- 600 miles here is tough," Gordon concedes. "It's tough on equipment, and it's tough mentally.
    "You have to mentally stay in the game and be focused for 600 miles.
    "Obviously I want to see how my back does, but I also think we can challenge for the win."
    Gordon's win at Texas last month  showed he and Letarte have a much better handle on the mid-sized tracks this season, and they backed that up in Saturday's All-Star run.