Epidural Steroid Injections

Epidural steroid injections are minimally invasive procedures that help relieve neck, arm, back, and leg pain caused by spinal nerve inflammation. Consultants in Pain Medicine: Stephanie S. Jones, MD, in San Antonio, Texas, uses epidural steroid injections to treat problems like sciatica, herniated discs, spinal stenosis, and many other causes of back pain. Call Dr. Jones to learn more about epidural steroid injections, or book an appointment online today.

What are epidural steroid injections?

Steroids are anti-inflammatory medications. They’re more powerful than nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen but can cause side effects when taken orally. Injecting steroids directly into painful tissues bypasses your digestive system, so you avoid adverse effects. It also concentrates the anti-inflammatory effect in the target area.

The epidural space surrounds your spinal cord. Injecting corticosteroids into this space ensures that they reach the nerve roots where your pain is coming from. The injections often contain a local anesthetic as well as corticosteroids to give you immediate pain relief for several hours.

Why might I need epidural steroid injections?

The Consultants in Pain Medicine: Stephanie S. Jones, MD team might recommend epidural steroid injections for the following conditions:

• Spinal stenosis (narrowed spinal canal)
• Spondylolisthesis (slipping vertebrae)
• Herniated discs
• Degenerative disc disease
• Lumbar radiculopathy (sciatica)
• Cervical radiculopathy (nerve-related neck pain)

These disorders often cause chronic back and/or neck pain from nerve compression (radiculopathy). Spinal nerves exit your spinal cord through gaps in the vertebrae and extend to the rest of your body. A damaged disc, thickened ligament, misaligned vertebrae, or other abnormality can press on one or more nerves, resulting in radiculopathy.

In addition to pain, radiculopathy causes numbness, weakness, and unpleasant tingling, prickling, or burning sensations. These symptoms spread into your arms if you have cervical radiculopathy and your legs if you have lumbar radiculopathy.

Patients often benefit from conservative treatments like physical therapy, manual manipulation, and oral medication. However, if your symptoms don’t improve, you might require epidural steroid injections to reduce nerve inflammation and pain.

How uncomfortable are epidural steroid injections?

The Consultants in Pain Medicine: Stephanie S. Jones, MD team performs epidural steroid injections under a local anesthetic so you won’t feel any pain during the procedure. Your provider uses cutting-edge imaging technology to view the needle as they inject your spine, ensuring minimal tissue damage and optimal accuracy.

You may experience some soreness at the injection site when the local anesthetic wears off, but this should only last a day or so. You should start feeling some symptom reduction in a week or two after your injection, which may continue for several months or more.

Call Consultants in Pain Medicine: Stephanie S. Jones, MD, today or book an appointment online to learn more about treating back pain with epidural steroid injections.