The Effects of Steroids on the Body Via Epidural Method

Epidural steroid injections can help relieve pain caused by inflamed spinal nerves, bulging discs and other spinal conditions. The injections are given between the vertebrae and the protective covering of the spinal cord. The positive effects of epidural steroid injections are usually temporary, and you may need more than one injection to reach and maintain the desired level of pain reduction.

Positive Effects

• Epidural steroid injections can help patients with low back and leg pain substantially lower pain levels for periods ranging from a week to a year. Pain relief can have a profound effect on patients who have suffered from chronic low back and leg pain. Patients who experience lower pain levels often experience better mental health. Pain relief from epidural steroid injections can minimize the need for narcotic painkillers, leading to less dependency. Some patients are able to delay or avoid spinal and leg surgeries as a result of the pain relief from epidural steroids. A 1998 study published in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation found that epidural steroid injections helped more than 80 percent of study participants suffering from sciatica experience less pain.

Risks and Side Effects

• According to Dr. Richard Staehler, Spine-Health.com writer, dural punctures occur in 0.5 percent of injections. Dural punctures can cause spinal headaches that usually disappear within a few days. Bleeding, nerve damage and infection are rare, but serious risks of epidural steroid injections. Some patients experience side effects from the steroid medication. According to Dr. Staehler, side effects from epidural injections occur less often and are less severe than side effects from oral steroids.

  The most common side effects from epidural steroid injections are a temporary increase in pain at the injection site, anxiety, sleeplessness, fever the night after the injection and headaches that last about 24 hours. Some patients experience an increase in blood sugar levels, stomach ulcers, cataracts or a decrease in immunity because of the steroids' suppressive effect on the immune system.

  If you have a fever of 101 degrees or greater for more than 24 hours, seek medical attention. A high fever that lasts for more than a day could indicate infection. Loss of bowel or bladder control, severe pain or loss of function in the extremities can also be signs of serious conditions. Contact your doctor as soon as possible if you experience any of these side effects.