When you have chronic neck or back pain, it can stifle your quality of life. The nerves that are within the spinal column are often the source of pain signals, especially when they are pinched or pressured from surrounding inflammation. One fast and effective non-surgical treatment for neck or back pain is epidural steroid injection, which we offer at Full Range Spine & Ortho in Los Angeles, CA.
What Is an Epidural Steroid Injection?
The spinal cord is surrounded and protected by vertebrae and spinal discs with tissue, blood vessels and nerves in between, which is called the epidural space. This narrow sleeve that encompasses the spinal cord is where many cases of neck or back pain begin. The nerve roots in the epidural space can be irritated by inflammation, resulting in constant or chronic pain.
Epidural steroid injections use an anti-inflammatory steroid to relieve the inflammation inside the epidural space. Once the nerve roots causing the pain are identified, an injection of a steroid can be placed inside the epidural space near the nerve roots. To perform the injection, imaging is used to guide the needle to the exact spot in the cervical, thoracic or lumbar spine.
What to Expect
Epidural steroid injections are indicated for a few different spinal pain conditions. The most common is a herniated or bulging disc that creates inflammation and pressure on the nerve roots in the neck or back. Other painful conditions that may benefit from an epidural steroid injection include spondylolysis, arthritis or bone spurs.
During the epidural steroid injection procedure, our medical team will use advanced imaging to pinpoint the treatment area. We numb the area with a local anesthetic first to reduce any discomfort. The injection is performed, usually without any discomfort due to the local anesthesia. The procedure can be performed in about 30 minutes at our clinics in the greater Los Angeles, CA area.
The pain relief from epidural steroid injections is not immediate. In the first few days after the injection, you may have increased pain due to irritation in the area. However, in a few days the steroid will begin to reduce the inflammation and many patients experience significant pain decreases for a few months or more.
If you are interested in learning more about epidural steroid injections, contact us at Full Range Spine & Ortho. We have several locations in the Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and Woodland Hills, CA area.
Posted on behalf of FullRange Spine & Ortho