What Is a Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injection?
A lumbar steroid injection in the epidural space of your spine is a shot of pain-relieving medication. Administered next to your lumbar spine, the injection targets the source of your pain, which may be damaged or impinged nerves in your lower back. This pain medication eases the injured or irritated nerves, offering pain relief that lasts months.
Low back pain is a common cause of disability among American adults. The lumbar section of your spine supports and stabilizes your upper body while protecting the spinal cord and allowing you flexibility. Lumbar steroid injections are effective for a wide range of conditions that cause debilitating pain in your lower back.
Dr. Ilana Etelzon, a pain management physician in New York and New Jersey, uses the most advanced minimally invasive techniques to treat low back pain. She also offers upper back pain treatments and mid back pain treatments.
What Do Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injections Treat?
This pain-relieving injection sends medication to the affected area of your lower back. Lumbar epidural steroid injections effectively treat specific spinal conditions that Dr. Etelzon diagnoses through an exam and imaging tests, and may include:
Herniated disc
Lumbar spinal stenosis
Sciatica, lumbar radiculopathy or radicular pain
Osteoarthritis
Spondylosis
Degenerative disc disease
Axial back pain
If you suffer from chronic or acute low back pain, a lumbar steroid injection may be the most appropriate way to relieve pain and restore function to your lower back.
A lumbar steroid injection in the epidural of your spine relieves pain by bathing the inflamed nerve in medication to ease pain and reduce the inflammation. The spinal injection contains a:
- Corticosteroid medication. The main component in a lumbar steroid injection is a corticosteroid medication. This drug has anti-inflammatory qualities to soothe the injured or compressed nerves in your spine.
- A numbing medication in the injection provides lasting pain relief. This anesthetic works with the steroid to give you relief and allow you to use your back.
While this pain treatment doesn’t cure your back pain, it provides you with months of pain-free living so you can participate in other treatment modalities, such as physical therapy, without pain. This multi-prong approach makes the treatment highly effective for lower back pain. Dr. Etelzon practices out of a state-of-the-art facility in NYC to provide safe and effective spinal procedures.
Dr. Etelzon follows a tailored procedure to treat your low back pain. The procedure takes place at your doctor’s office and lasts for about 15 to 30 minutes. The main steps for a lumbar spinal injection include:
Your doctor carries out tests to diagnose what’s causing your lower back pain.
Access point. Once the location of your pain has been determined, your doctor chooses the best route to access to the area.
You lie on an x-ray table, while a topical anesthetic is applied to reduce discomfort.
Dr. Etelzon uses fluoroscopy to guide the epidural needle to the specific location along your spine. She first injects a contrast solution to confirm the location of the needle. Then she injects the pain-relieving medication.
Your doctor places a dressing over the injection site and monitors you while the anesthetic wears off. The medication starts to work after about two days, and the effect may last for months.
You can only get up to four steroid injections per year. More than that cause side effects. Other treatments for low back pain include nerve block injections, regenerative medicine procedures and radiofrequency ablation. You may be a good candidate for a lumbar epidural steroid injection if you have:
Chronic lower back pain that prevents you from normal daily activities
A diagnosis for nerve compression or nerve damage in your lumbar spine Radiating pain down your legs
Pain, muscle weakness and tingling in your legs
Reduced range of motion in your lower back
Dr. Etelzon chooses the most appropriate treatment for you from a wide range of non-invasive procedures for pain relief. Contact this NYC pain management specialist today.