Issue 2.17
Are you experiencing neck, mid-back or low back pain? Do you have pain traveling into your arms, chest or down your legs? Is there a time of day where your pain is more intense? Do you find looking down, breathing or standing for an extended period of time aggravating? Are you having trouble sleeping due to pain?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may benefit from an epidural steroid injection. An epidural steroid injection is an injection into the epidural space, which lies outside of the spinal cord and extends from the base your skull to the sacrum. These injections can be performed in your neck, mid-back and low back depending on your specific problem area.
Back pain is one of the most common complaints seen in clinics. Back pain can be associated with a loss of function, or an overall decrease in the quality of life. This can be a huge burden on the overall health of the body. Epidural steroid injections could be the answer.
Your doctor may order an X-ray, MRI or CT scan to further evaluate your problem area. When reviewing these tests with your doctor, you may hear words like spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease or arthritis. To put these words to term, these can be the cause of your pain.
How are epidural steroid injections done? First, we bring you into our procedure room and lay you on your belly, and wash and clean your skin using an alcohol based cleaner. Then, using live X-ray guidance, we inject numbing medication (lidocaine) into the problem area. Once numbing medication has been injected, we then inject corticosteroid, which decreases inflammation in the area providing pain relief that can last up to three months or more. These procedures can be repeated three to four times a year. If you have a fear of needles or are nervous about this procedure, we offer light/conscious sedation. Side effects of this procedure may include skin rashes, facial flushing, insomnia, headaches, elevated blood sugars and a jittery feeling. Though these are not common, side effects typically subside within five days.
To better prolong your pain relief, your doctor may also recommend physical therapy. A physical therapist can help demonstrate proper exercises to strengthen your core muscle groups and improve your posture.
If you feel like you may be suffering from any of these types of symptoms, please feel free to contact our office, Desert Pain Specialists at, (435) 216-7000.