What is an epidural steroid injection?
Epidural steroid injections are a non-surgical treatment designed to alleviate pain caused by a variety of spinal conditions. There are two main types of injections.
Translaminar
This approach allows your medication to spread through the epidural space. Translaminar injections aren't root-specific. If foraminal stenosis exists, injected medications may not exit the foramen.
Transforaminal
This approach uses injection therapy medications around nerve roots at the exact site of your inflammation.
The injections deliver a long-lasting steroid and an anesthetic agent to the irritated or inflamed spinal nerve that’s causing you pain.
The goal of epidural steroid injections is to reduce pain so that you can resume your normal activities and start or continue physical therapy.
What are epidural steroid injections used for?
Epidural steroid injections can relieve symptoms associated with many spinal conditions, including, but not limited to:
- Herniated discs
- Spinal stenosis
- Spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis
- Back pain
- Neck pain
- Sciatica (leg pain)
Epidural steroid injections are commonly used in conjunction with a rehabilitation program to provide additional pain relief.
What are the benefits of epidural steroid injections?
Epidural steroid injections deliver medication directly, or very close to, the source of your pain. Alternative short-term pain relief treatments like oral steroids and painkillers are a less-direct treatment.
Since most pain originates from chemical inflammation, epidural steroid injections can target local inflammation while also getting rid of inflammatory proteins and chemicals that may worsen your pain.
Are epidural steroid injections safe?
Epidural steroid injections are safe, and complications are extremely rare. Sometimes, you may experience side effects from the actual epidural steroid used in treatment. This is rare and occurs much less frequently than side effects associated with oral steroids.
Some of the potential side effects include:
- Headaches
- Anxiety
- Loss of sleep
- Fever (only the night of the injection)
- Local pain
- High blood sugar
At Glaser Pain Relief Center, your pain specialist discusses your medical history with you, performs a physical exam, and analyzes your symptoms to determine whether epidural steroid injections are a good treatment option for you.
If you have back or neck pain, don’t jump straight to spine surgery. Contact Glaser Pain Relief Center to discuss non-surgical treatment options by calling the office or booking an appointment online today.
