Epidural Steroid Injections are commonly recommended for various kinds of leg pain and lower back pain. The objective of this treatment is to provide temporary pain relief to patients. However, these epidural shots for back pain are not ideal for chronic pain-related problems.
You can expect the effects to sustain from 7 days up to a year. Patients going through acute leg and backache can find it to be beneficial. In some cases, it can also be used to relieve cervical pain.
Is It Long-Lasting?
It is quite hard to predict how long its effects will last. In general, you get instant pain relief due to the local anesthetic, which then begins to wear off within a few hours.
The steroid usually begins to kick in between 3 to 8 days, and its impact can last for numerous days up to one year as mentioned earlier.
Risks of This Treatment
You can get assured as this treatment has negligible risks, excluding the temporary pain you get from the injection.
In rare cases, there are chances of puncture of the sack that consists of spinal fluid. In addition to this, there can be some rare complications like bleeding, infection, or nerve damage.
Epidural shots for back pain usually have temporary side effects which include temporary weight gain, hot flushing, and a short-term spike in blood sugar levels.
The Way ESI Works
Epidural Steroid Injections directly provide steroids into the epidural region in your spine. Additional fluids, such as local anesthetics, are often used for flushing out the inflammatory mediators from that space where pain resides.
Steroids are also included in the drug that functions as anti-inflammatory agents.
A significant reduction in inflammation helps in relieving the pain (as these lower back conditions are directly linked with inflammation).
Some of the commonly used steroids include Dexamethasone, Triamcinolone acetonide, and Methylprednisolone acetate.
Lidocaine is usually preferred as a local anesthetic to provide temporary pain relief. Saline is often used to dilute this anesthetic. Bupivacaine is used as a long-lasting alternative.
It will be helpful to note that upon appropriate administration of the injection with fluoroscopic guidance and confirmation via contrast-enhanced imaging, more than fifty percent of the patients can experience remarkable pain relief with these shots.
Although these may not be completely effective, pain relief obtained through injections can have a positive impact on the patient’s mental well-being and overall quality of life.
This also reduces the need for opioid analgesic, which has the potential to cause addiction in patients.
Our Holistic Approach
Epidural shots for back pain prove to be an effective treatment with minimal risk similar to trigger point injections. But where can you get the best possible care and results?
Dr. Darryl Robinson, MD focuses on holistic healing solutions with a non-surgical approach and offers a full spectrum of minimally invasive joint and spine care services.
Our aim is simple: Helping you live a pain-free life without relying on expensive surgeries.
**Disclaimer: This content should not be considered medical advice and does not imply a doctor-patient relationship.
