We’re pleased to announce that Pain Physicians of Wisconsin is now Pro Spine Pain.
We’re pleased to announce that Pain Physicians of Wisconsin is now Pro Spine Pain.
A lumbar epidural steroid injection can be used to treat a variety of spine conditions in the lower back. This injection involves delivering a corticosteroid medication and often a local anesthetic into the epidural space, which is the space surrounding the spinal cord and nerve roots in the lumbar spine. The coritcosteroid medication helps to reduce inflammation and alleviate pain caused by pinched nerves, herniated discs, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, chronic lower back pain, and more.
Lumbar epidural steroid injections are done in an outpatient setting. You will typically be on your stomach or side, and a local anesthetic will be applied to numb the skin and tissues around the injection site. Your pain doctor will then carefully insert a thin niddle into the epidural space in your lower back. Once the needle is properly positioned, the medication is injected. The need is carefully withdrawn, and you may be monitored for a short period of time following the injection to ensure there are no immediate complications.
The duration of pain relief can vary from person to person, and repeated injections may be necessary for long-term management of certain conditions. Some individuals may experience immediate relief, while others may require a few days for the medication to take full effect. Your doctor will discuss the potential benefits, risks, and expected outcomes of the procedure with you before scheduling and performing the injection.
If you’re to undergo this type of injection, it’s likely you could have a different approach to someone else. The path of this injection depends on the location of your nerve pain and inflammation. To pinpoint the pain, you’ll be sent for a CT or MRI scan.
Then you will be sent for the following type of approach:
It’s normal to experience slight pain once the anesthetic has worn off. If you experience worsening pain after the procedure, you must contact us. It might be a sign of an underlying spinal condition or area that needs to be treated.
Side effects can occur from this procedure, but the chance of them happening is usually very small. If they are to happen, you’ll likely experience a headache, low blood pressure, itchy skin, nausea, and slow breathing. Contact us for an appointment if you experience any of these.
Often, lumbar spinal injections provide temporary pain relief that lasts for at least 3 months up to a year. Sometimes, people may experience no pain relief or less, where another injection may be required.
