Skip to main content
562-534-2606 Book Online

Brief Overview of Epidural Steroid Injections

South Coast Sports and Spine Medicine Blog Brief Overview of Epidural Steroid Injections

Lower back pain is becoming increasingly common among individuals. The pain can be due to any reason and might be extremely painful and render the patient incapable of going through day to day life activities. Healthcare providers have started using epidural steroid injections as a non-invasive modality to manage chronic lower back pain. These have shown the most effective results in managing lower back pain due to spinal stenosis and herniated disk.

What is an epidural?

An epidural is a procedure during which a medication — either an anesthetic or a steroid — is injected into the space between the bone and the protective sac of the spinal nerves called the epidural space. The goal of an epidural procedure is pain reduction or complete anesthesia for a certain region of your body.

What is an epidural steroid injection (ESI)?

A steroid injection can include both, a corticosteroid like dexamethasone, triamcinolone, methyl-prednisolone and an anesthetic numbing agent like lidocaine. These drugs are injected into the epidural space of the spine.

Corticosteroid injections are used to reduce inflammation and chronic pains caused by irritation and inflammation of spinal nerve roots in the lower back region and are very effective when delivered directly into the affected area. It only works on the spinal nerves and flushes away the proteins that cause swelling. The pain relief can last from days to years, which allows your spinal condition to improve with the help of exercise and physical therapy.

How does it work?

An epidural steroid injection (ESI) is mainly used for chronic pain management. A steroid or corticosteroid is injected into the epidural space. The medication, instead of blocking pain or feeling in a region of your body, coats the irritated nerves that are the cause of your pain and also aids to reduce swelling and pressure on the nerves. The steroid allows the nerves time to heal. Epidural steroid injections can provide temporary, long-term or permanent pain relief.

Who can benefit from epidural steroid injections?

People who suffer from pain in any body part due to the following conditions may benefit from epidural steroid injections:

What are the contraindications for getting epidural steroid injection?

ESI is considered an appropriate non-surgical intervention for a lot of patients. Patients suffering from certain medical conditions are, however, not ideal candidates for an epidural. Hence, before getting an epidural it is very important to discuss your medical history with your doctor so that future complications can be avoided. If you suffer from any of the following conditions, you may not be able to get a steroid epidural:

You Might Also Enjoy...

Image courtesy of https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/herniated-disk-in-the-lower-back/

Herniated Discs
Herniated discs, also known as slipped or ruptured discs, occur when the soft, gel-like center of a spinal disc pushes through a crack in the tough exterior. This can cause pain, numbness, and weakness in the affected area.

Mckenzie exercises for lower back pain
The McKenzie exercises consist of a number of physical therapies that help make a diagnosis and provide relief to lower back pain. This method works by first detecting the cause of lower back pain.

Non-Surgical Treatments of Lower Back Pain
Low back pain is becoming very common among individuals. Although it can be quite debilitating and painful, it is temporary and improves without surgery in approximately 90% of cases. We discuss in this article how to treat low back pain without surgery.