"I had a facet block procedure done on my back on Monday, and it went well," Gordon said in a statement. "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."

A facet block procedure involves an injection of local anesthetic and anti- inflammatory into a joint in the spine. The procedure is commonly ordered for patients who suffer lower back pain or pain associated from arthritic changes in the facet joints.

If the procedure is not effective, surgery maybe necessary.

Earlier this month, Gordon said he underwent an MRI to diagnose his back problem, but was not ready to discuss the details. He also said, "There's a little bit of arthritis, which is not totally unnatural. But there are also some other things that come, from what they can understand, from trauma, from a crash, or maybe just from years of beating it up."

Gordon, who currently holds a 29-point lead, is expected to be back in his No.24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet for Thursday's practice and qualifying for the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. He is a five-time race winner at Lowe's, including three victories in the Coca-Cola 600, NASCAR's longest race of the season.

"This is a grueling race - 600 miles here is tough," he said. "I'm really looking forward to the event. Obviously, I want to see how my back does, but I also think we can challenge for the win."