If you suffer from persistent back pain or sciatica, an epidural injection might be for you. This procedure is typically outpatient and takes anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of hours to administer. Using a needle, your doctor will administer the steroids directly into the epidural space of your spinal column. This allows the steroid to directly reach the irritated nerve in your spinal column and begin reducing inflammation. Steroid injections may help to reduce your pain and daily medication intake. They may also help improve your mobility and function. While the benefits of steroid injections are temporary, their anti inflammatory properties typically last around 3 months or longer.
Why Choose Injections?
Operating on the spinal column comes with a host of precautions and potential complications. Doctors typically try a variety of nonsurgical methods before heading to the operating table. Surgery itself entails long recovery times, and the potential possibility that it won’t help your condition. Anti inflammatory injection are a more inexpensive, less invasive option for those with chronic back pain. Epidural procedures are performed routinely in hospitals, and their safeness makes them a viable option for those fixing to give birth either vaginally or through a C-section.
How Does It Work?
Your doctor will give you a topical anesthetic to help numb the pain of the insertion of the needle. The placement of the needle depends on the location of your pain or nerves that are affected. The doctor will choose a location that optimizes the benefit of the steroid, while giving ample space for the various nerves and vessels that run through the spine. Your doctor may also rely on an x-ray to correctly position the needle for added safety. Once in place, a mix of steroids and local anesthetic is administered into the epidural space. You may feel pain relief immediately following the procedure as a result of the anesthetic. The steroids will begin to reduce inflammation over the course of the next several days, in which your pain should begin to show a notable decrease.
Ask Your Doctor If Injections Are Right For You
Injections may help you avoid surgery or other operations. Many patients with slipped discs, sciatica, and other conditions report feeling long term relief without the use of daily medications. If injections are right for you, you can receive them yearly as part of your care plan for managing your condition. … Read the rest