What is the purpose of epidural steroid injection?
Epidural steroid injection is a procedure in which pain relievers are applied directly to a small area in your lower back and neck where the nerves exit, to treat pain caused by irritation of the spinal nerves. Epidural injections can be applied to your neck (cervical), back (thoracic) or lower back (lumbar) depending on the area of your pain.
What is done in this process?
Epidural steroid injection is a procedure performed in the operating room or special operating room. Does not require hospitalization. After your skin is cleaned with an antiseptic solution, the doctor will give you a numbing injection. This needle may cause a burning sensation for a few seconds. After the drug has taken effect, the doctor will insert another needle with the help of a special x-ray machine called a fluoroscope and inject a radio-opaque dye (contrast material) to see if the needle is in the right place. When the needle is in the appropriate position, it will deliver a mixture of anesthetic (anesthetic) and anti-inflammatory drug (cortisone/steroid). While the medicine is being injected, it is normal to feel a pain similar to the back pain you always feel. This is a good sign and indicates that the medicine is going to the right place. The pain usually disappears quickly.
Can I sleep during this process?
You do not need to sleep for this procedure; but you will take enough medicine to relax you.
How long does it take in this process?
Epidural steroid injection normally takes no more than 5-10 minutes.
Do you need to repeat the process?
Depending on the level of reduction in pain after the first injection, re-injection may be required for a minimum of 2-3 weeks in between.
What should I do before the procedure?
Since you will be taking medication, we recommend that you do not eat or drink anything for four or five hours before the procedure. If you have diabetes, you should discuss your eating and medication schedule with your doctor.
You may need to stop some medications a few days before the procedure.
Is there anything special I need to do after the procedure?
We will continue to monitor you for 20-30 minutes after the procedure. After making sure that we do not encounter a problem, you can go home.
A few hours after the procedure, you may experience some weakness and/or numbness in your legs (lumbar injection), arms (cervical injection), or chest wall (thoracic injection).
In this situation, do not engage in any activity involving weight lifting, balance and coordination.
Drink plenty of water to help flush out the injected dye from your kidneys.
Do not drive the same day after the procedure. There should be someone to drive you home or accompany you in a taxi or other public transport.
Depending on how you feel, you can return to work or your normal activities the next day.
If your doctor has prescribed physical therapy, it is very important that you continue with the physical therapy program.
When will my pain go away?
Although you may feel much better immediately after the injection, depending on the numbing medicine, there is a chance that your pain will return within a few hours. It may take several days for the steroid injection to take effect. Maximum improvement is seen 1-2 weeks after the last injection.
What are the risks of epidural steroid injection?
Although rare, these risks include: Allergic reaction to the drug; nerve damage; bruising at the injection site; infection at the injection site; perforation of the dura causing headache.
Call your doctor immediately if you experience severe back pain, new numbness or weakness in your legs, persistent headache, or signs of infection at the injection site.
You can easily call us at any time regarding all the questions that come to your mind before and after the procedure and the condition of your pain. Our experienced team will be happy to assist you.
