What are epidural steroid injections?
Epidural steroid injections are minimally invasive spinal injections performed to reduce inflammation around spinal nerves thereby decreasing the pain caused by the inflammation of the nerves and nerve roots. They are very beneficial when used to treat pain that radiates from the neck to shoulders, arms, hands (cervical radioculopathy). They are equally effective for pain that radiates from the back to the thigh, legs, and feet. (lumbar radiofrequency). These two conditions are typically caused by disc herniations, disc protrusions or spinal stenosis in the neck or lower back.
What to expect with epidural steroid injections
The epidural steroid injections are done with x-ray guidance, and usually takes a few minutes. The patients are awake during the procedure and are able to return to their usual activities on the same day. The typical relief onset is within a few days and maximum relief can take up to 7-10 days. The relief usually lasts for months or longer.