Epidural Steroid Injections
Epidural Steroid Injections (ESIs) are often used to treat radicular pain, which is pain that radiates outward from the spine down an irritated spinal nerve root. Patients can experience sharp pains shooting from the lower back into one or both legs, or pain radiating from the neck into one or both arms. ESIs are also used to treat patients suffering from nerve compression in the neck and lower back.
The Procedure
- ESIs are commonly given in a hospital or a doctor’s office.
- With the patient lying face down on a bed or table, an anesthetic is injected to numb the skin near where the irritated nerve roots are located.
- Using a fluoroscopy (a live X-ray video), the physician injects a combination of a long-lasting steroid and some local anesthetic.
- This injection is designed to reduce inflammation and stop pain signals from transmitting in the affected area.
- The procedure is not typically painful because of the numbing anesthetic, but the area may be tender for a few days