Epidural Steroid Injections: A Non-Surgical Solution for Spinal Pain
If you are suffering from severe spinal pain that is not responding to traditional treatments, consider epidural steroid injections at Modern Pain Management. This treatment option can effectively reduce inflammation, alleviate pain, and improve function, offering a chance for improved mobility and a better quality of life. To manage your pain, seek advice from Dr. Atallah, D.O., and his knowledgeable staff. We have convenient locations to serve you in Houston TX and Sugar Land, TX. For more information, contact us or request an appointment online.
Table of Contents:
How do epidural steroid injections help alleviate spinal pain?
How long does spinal pain relief last after an epidural steroid injection?
What types of spinal pain conditions can benefit from epidural steroid injections?
How quickly can I expect relief from spinal pain after receiving an epidural steroid injection?
At Modern Pain Management, we understand the debilitating effects of severe spinal pain caused by conditions such as herniated discs, spinal stenosis, radiculopathy, sciatica, and degenerative disc disease. We offer epidural steroid injections to help manage and alleviate your pain.
Epidural Steroid Injections are a common non-surgical treatment option we provide to our patients who have not found adequate relief from conservative treatments like physical therapy, medication, and lifestyle modifications. This minimally invasive procedure involves injecting a potent anti-inflammatory medication, typically a corticosteroid, directly into the epidural space of your spine.
This treatment can provide significant pain relief by reducing inflammation and pressure on the nerve roots, improving pain control and function, and potentially preventing the need for surgery or providing temporary pain relief until surgery can be performed. As with all treatments, the extent and duration of pain relief can vary greatly among patients.
Despite the potential risks and side effects associated with any medical procedure, such as infection, bleeding, or a temporary increase in pain, our team ensures that these risks are minimized by performing the procedure correctly and monitoring your progress closely.
We specialize in innovative and comprehensive pain management solutions, including epidural steroid injections (ESI). We aim to provide treatments that can offer significant relief to our patients.
The duration of pain relief following an ESI can vary greatly from patient to patient. Most commonly, we administer steroids like triamcinolone and dexamethasone in our ESI procedures. These steroids can provide pain relief lasting from a few weeks up to several months.
Patients typically start to experience relief within one to three days after the injection, but in some cases, the relief may be immediate or may take up to a week. The initial pain relief comes from the local anesthetic that is often administered alongside the steroid. This relief is immediate, but it’s also temporary, usually lasting only a few hours to a day.
The steroid starts to work within 48 to 72 hours and provides longer-lasting relief. However, it’s crucial to understand that ESI is not a permanent cure for conditions causing back pain, such as herniated discs or spinal stenosis. It’s a treatment method designed to reduce inflammation and provide temporary relief from pain.
The effectiveness of an ESI can vary among patients. Some may experience significant pain relief that lasts for several months, while others may find minimal relief. It’s important to discuss these factors and potential outcomes with your healthcare provider at Modern Pain Management to better understand what to expect from the procedure.
Our team of highly skilled physicians frequently recommends epidural steroid injections as a part of comprehensive treatment plans for patients suffering from various spinal pain conditions. This procedure can help decrease inflammation and alleviate pain.
Our clinic often utilizes this treatment in conjunction with physical therapy and lifestyle modifications to provide maximum benefit for our patients. Here are some conditions that we treat using epidural steroid injections:
• Disc Herniation: If you’re dealing with a ruptured disc in your spine, epidural steroid injections can ease the nerve irritation and inflammation caused by the protruding inner material.
• Spinal Stenosis: Epidural steroid injections can help relieve the pressure on the nerves caused by a narrowing spinal canal, reducing your pain levels significantly.
• Degenerative Disc Disease: We can help manage the inflammation and discomfort caused by the breakdown of your intervertebral discs using these injections.
• Sciatica: Characterized by pain and numbness due to nerve compression, this condition can be effectively managed by the anti-inflammatory effects of steroid injections.
• Spondylolisthesis: If you’re experiencing pain due to one vertebral body slipping onto another, an injection can help lessen the pressure on the nerves, reducing the accompanying discomfort.
• Facet Joint Syndrome: When the small joints located behind your vertebrae become inflamed or arthritic, we can use epidural steroid injections to help manage your back pain and stiffness.
• Cauda Equina Syndrome: This rare but serious condition that causes weakness and lack of control over the bowels and bladder and numbness in the legs, can also be treated with epidural steroid injections.
If you’re suffering from any of these conditions, we invite you to consult with our healthcare providers at Modern Pain Management.
One of the effective treatments to manage spinal pain is epidural steroid injections. The relief experienced from this treatment varies from one patient to another, with factors such as the severity of pain, overall health, and individual response to the medication playing significant roles. Generally, immediate relief is provided by a local anesthetic mixed with the steroid, offering short-term respite that typically lasts a few hours post-procedure. The steroid, known for its prolonged relief effect, usually begins to work one to three days following the injection.
Patients can typically expect relief from spinal pain within a few days to a week after receiving an epidural steroid injection. However, this may vary depending on various factors, including the location of the injection.
If the initial injection does not significantly alleviate your symptoms within one to two weeks, our expert medical team at Modern Pain Management may recommend an additional injection. It’s crucial to remember that while epidural steroid injections can provide significant relief from spinal pain, they are typically not a permanent solution. We incorporate them as part of a comprehensive pain management plan that may also involve physical therapy, medication, and lifestyle modifications.
We encourage you to schedule a follow-up appointment with our medical team to discuss other potential treatment options. We believe in setting realistic expectations and goals for your pain management process.
At Modern Pain Management, our highly skilled and experienced team is dedicated to providing individualized care plans to suit each patient’s unique needs. We can help you find the most effective treatment options for your condition. We have convenient locations to serve you in Houston TX and Sugar Land TX. For more information, please contact us or request an appointment online. We serve patients from Houston TX, Sugar Land TX, Pearland TX, Jersey Village TX, Missouri City TX, Stafford TX, and Richmond TX.