1.10pm : Spinal Epidural Steroid Injection

It has been done....relatively painless procedure and so far worth it....there was instantaneous relief. The sensations are rather weird but there has been some relief.

Some background information on the procedure is detailed below:

Why is it done?

It is usually done where there is pain due to nerve irritation or compression in the spine. Specifically, it is most often used for two conditions. The first is spinal stenosis and the second is sciatica, usually due to a disc protrusion. It is sometimes done for low back pain, but it is not often very effective for this.

What is it?

This is an injection into the spine, into the epidural space. This is the space between the bony spinal canal and the spinal cord and nerves. The procedure is similar to that done for pain relief during childbirth. The injection is different in that it contains local anaesthetic and steroid.

How does it work?

The local anaesthetic works to numb the nerves in the area. This is temporary and lasts about twelve hours (usually overnight). The steroid is like prednisone or cortisone, and it acts to decrease swelling and inflammation. It helps decrease the nerve irritation, and usually starts working a day or two after the injection.