Procedures for Steroid Injections for Back Pain

An epidural steroid injection procedure is performed in hopes of alleviating a patient's lower back pain or radiating leg pain. This procedure will be performed by a physician. A steroid injection for back pain typically takes 15 to 30 minutes. Some patients will experience some immediate relief from their pain; some will notice pain relief after a few days or weeks; and some patients will experience no pain relief at all.

Purpose

• The main goal of an epidural steroid injection is to provide back pain relief. According to Spine Health, epidural steroid injections help to alleviate pain by controlling inflammation, nerve root swelling and nerve root irritation. They are most often used to treat back pain associated with lumbar disc herniations, when the center of the spinal disc pushes through outer disc ring, spinal stenosis (a narrowed spinal canal) and degenerative disc disease (spinal disc collapse).

Results

• According to Spine Health, more than 50percent of patients experience relief from their back pain. However, this relief is temporary for most patients so the procedure will often be repeated when symptoms return. According to Spine Health, back pain relief can last anywhere from a week to a year--about 80 percent of patients who undergo an epidural steroid injection for a herniated lumbar disc experience back pain relief and 75 percent of those who get the injection for spinal stenosis experienced relief from their pain.

Considerations

• According to Spine Health, an epidural steroid injection for back pain relief carries several risks. However, these risks are considered rare. Only about 0.01 percent of patients experience infection and only 0.5 percent of patients experience a dural puncture. Bleeding and nerve damage may also occur, but are also considered rare. There are also side effects associated with the steroids used during the procedure, but they are considered rare. The side effects include increased pain, fever, headaches, insomnia, anxiety, facial flushing, high blood sugar, cataracts, immunity decrease, severe hip arthritis and stomach ulcers.

Procedure

• To begin the procedure a nurse will thoroughly clean the injection site area. According to Spine Health, the doctor, with the help of a radiologist, will use an imaging machine to take pictures of the area being injected. The imaging machine, called a fluoroscope, will take pictures of your epidural space so that the doctor can see exactly where to inject the steroids. The fluoroscope will also be used during the procedure to help the doctor guide the needle into the right area.

  Before beginning the epidural injection the doctor will inject a numbing medication, such as lidocaine, to the injection site area. They will inject several layers of tissue and muscle so that the patient is as comfortable as possible. Once you are numb, the procedure will begin.

  With the help of the fluoroscope the doctor will guide the needle into place and once it is in place the doctor will inject a contrast dye. This contrast dye helps the doctor confirm the needle's exact location. Once the needle is in place the doctor will slowly inject the epidural steroid solution. As this steroid solution is being injected you may feel mild pressure and this pressure will subside as soon as the doctor is done injecting the steroid solution. Once the injection procedure is complete the doctor will remove the needle.

Recovery

• After the procedure the doctor, or a nurse, will clean the injection site area and dry it. . According to Spine Health, you will then be wheeled into a recovery room where you will be monitored for approximately twenty minutes. After 20 minutes, you are released and can go home.