Epidural steroid injections have been used for decades by interventional pain management specialists to help reduce inflammation, which can cause considerable nerve irritation and pain in the back, neck, arms, and legs. Despite the success of this pain management tool, there are several misconceptions about what the injections can do and how they are being used to relieve pain.
The experienced team of interventional pain specialists at The Spine & Pain Center of Indirapuram Ghaziabad, led by Anurag Aggarwal, MD, routinely uses epidural steroid injections as part of treatment strategies for patients whose pain does not respond to traditional therapies.
Here are the facts you need to know about epidural steroid injections as an effective treatment for chronic back pain and sciatica. Long-term pain relief could well be provided by epidural steroid injections.
Changes in your spine’s bony and soft tissue structures can cause nerve compression or pinching as they travel through or exit the spinal column. This typically results in inflammation and nerve irritation, which can cause significant pain at the nerve root as well as pain, tingling, numbness, and weakness in the nerve’s associated extremities.
The epidural steroid injections contain an anesthetic as well as Triamcinolone, a long-acting steroid that helps reduce inflammation and nerve irritation. The following conditions can cause or result in nerve compression and may respond to epidural steroid injections. The epidural steroid injections contain an anesthetic as well as Triamcinolone, a long-acting steroid that helps reduce inflammation and nerve irritation.
The following conditions can cause or result in nerve compression and may respond to epidural steroid injections:
- Herniated disc
- Degenerative disc disease
- Bone spurs
- Narrowing of the spinal canal (spinal stenosis)
- Sciatica (radiculopathy)
- Epidural Steroid Injections are safe
Before your procedure, you can expect a thorough examination and discussion of your medical history, current medication use, and other details. Epidural steroid injections are a very safe treatment for chronic back pain and nerve irritation when performed by a skilled specialist like Dr. Aggarwal. Many patients receive the treatment while sedated via intravenous infusion, which renders the procedure completely painless. Fluoroscopy, a type of X-ray imaging, is used to precisely guide the injection placement.
However, because the procedure is so simple, it can also be performed under local anesthesia. In such cases, patients may feel a slight pressure as the injection is delivered to the targeted region of the spinal canal. Patients tolerate the procedure well, with few, if any, complaints of discomfort.
During his 14-plus years of practice, the Spine & Pain Center specialists have performed hundreds of these injections with no serious complications or adverse effects. Temporary soreness at the injection site is the most common complaint. The injections aid in the reduction of inflammation, swelling, and edema in the affected area.
In some cases, it is curative, but in others, such as spinal stenosis, it may not resolve the underlying condition that is causing the pain. Nonetheless, epidural injections can provide long-term pain relief while also improving the outcomes of patients undergoing a rehabilitation program. This can include Physical therapy, manipulation, and other nonsurgical back pain treatments. Epidural steroid injections can reduce the financial, social, and emotional distress caused by chronic pain by relieving your discomfort.
If you’re experiencing chronic back pain, schedule a visit to Aggarwals Spine & Pain Center, Indirapuram. Call our office in Indirapuram Ghaziabad at 9958830005 or request an appointment online at 9717236321.
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