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Patient symptoms to consider an Epidural Steroid Injection include:

Disc degeneration/herniation
Spinal nerve root compression
Spinal nerve root inflammation (traumatic or infectious)
Spinal stenosis

This is not a complete list of the conditions for which epidural steroid injections are done. Please discuss with your physician for more details.

Am I a candidate for an Epidural Steroid Injection?
After reviewing your history and comprehensive physicial examination it would be decided if you are a candidate for epidural steroid injection.

How long does the procedure take?
The procedure takes approximately fifteen (15) minutes.

Where is the procedure performed?
The procedure is usually done in an outpatient surgery center or in a hospital where fluoroscopy or x-ray facilities are available.

How is the procedure performed?
An IV is started before the procedure and you will receive mild sedation through the IV to make you less anxious and more painless.
A local anesthetic, such as Xylocaine or Novocaine, is injected into the skin to numb the area. Then, the epidural needle is advanced under live X-Ray (fluoroscopic guidance) into the epidural space.
Once the needle is in the epidural space, position is confirmed by injecting a special dye. Since we can not see the medication under the X-Ray, dye is going to help in localizing the medication and also shows previous surgical scaring in the area. (We will not use dye in patients who are allergic to the dye).
After confirming the needle location, we will inject the local anesthetic and Anti-Inflamatory Steroid in the area. In certain situations, we may not use X-ray.

I am afraid of needles. Will I have a lot of pain?
Your physician at Advanced Pain Specialists will do everything possible to do the procedure with minimal pain and discomfort. As explained above, you will be given mild sedation intravenously and numbing medication (local anesthetic) at the site of the needle placement.

What should I expect after the procedure?
Immediately after the procedure you may get good relief of your pain. Sometimes you may feel numbness in the legs or arms, depending upon where the procedure is done. Your pain may come back two to three hours after the injection, depending on the type of the local anesthetic used. Occasionally your pain may get worse on the second or third day because of the preservative in the steroid. In two to three days, you may see gradual improvement in your pain, and you should see maximum improvement in five to seven days. About 10% of the population may take up to two weeks to see maximum improvement.