Am I a good candidate?

At your appointment with Interventional Pain Doctors, our physicians will review your medical history, perform a problem-focused physical exam, review imaging, and offer a customized treatment plan based on an accurate diagnosis. If you have severe neck pain that radiates into the arm or low back pain that radiates into the leg from an injured disc in the spine you may benefit from an epidural.

What is it?

Epidural steroid injections are the most common non-surgical treatment option for acute/chronic back/neck with arm/leg pain. An epidural injection is placed by the injured disc to relieve inflammation and pain of the affected nerve. By volume, what is injected consists mostly of sterile saline (salt water), a nerve numbing agent (local anesthetic) and a very small amount of potent anti-inflammatory (steroid). An epidural injection can help heal the injured nerve. An epidural does not heal a torn (herniated) disc. That will either heal on its own or may require surgery if it does not.  

An epidural injection can be performed in your cervical, thoracic, or lumbar spine to provide pain relief and relieve nerve swelling and inflammation. Epidural injections are a minimally invasive procedure that can deliver pain relief and allow patients to improve their function and become active again.

Cervical Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injection

A cervical epidural is performed to relieve neck, shoulder and arm pain related to compression of a nerve root in the cervical spine. Conditions such as herniated discs and spinal stenosis can compress nerves, causing inflammation and pain. The medication injected helps decrease the swelling of nerves.  An epidural performed using image guidance, takes several minutes to complete, and is done as an outpatient (same day) procedure.

A thoracic epidural is performed to relieve upper back, rib, and abdominal pain related to compression of a nerve root in the thoracic spine. Conditions such as herniated discs and spinal stenosis can compress nerves, causing inflammation and pain. The medication injected helps decrease the swelling of nerves.  An epidural performed using image guidance, takes several minutes to complete, and is done as an outpatient (same day) procedure.

A lumbar epidural is performed to relieve low back and leg pain related to compression of a nerve root in the cervical spine. Conditions such as herniated discs and spinal stenosis can compress nerves, causing inflammation and pain. The medication injected helps decrease the swelling of nerves.  An epidural performed using image guidance, takes several minutes to complete, and is done as an outpatient (same day) procedure.

During Procedure

Injections are performed sterilely in the operating room using image guidance. You will be comfortably positioned and monitors will be placed to check your vital signs. Oxygen will be given to you if you want to be sedated for the procedure. The skin over the site to be injected with be sterilely cleaned. Local anesthesia will be used to numb the skin. The epidural needle will be placed using image guidance and spread over target will be confirmed with contrast dye. Medication will then be administered and needles removed. Bandages will be placed and you will be taken to the recovery room until you are ready for discharge home.

When will I get pain relief?

An epidural cleans and reduces inflammation of the nerve root and it will take time to heal. Typically patients experience pain relief in three to seven days, although in some cases it can be up to 14 days. The amount of relief is dependent upon the amount of inflammation and duration. Pain relief can be complete with one treatment or it may require a subsequent injection. The duration of relief usually depends on the health of the disc. If a disc continues to inflame the nerve root surgery may be necessary to address the disc with surgery. If the disc heals, the injection may be successful at relieving your pain.

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