Back Pain & Leg Pain... OH MY

What can Pain Care do to help with back and leg pain?

Most patients with back and radiating leg pain typically benefit from a lumbar transforaminal.

What is a lumbar transforaminal epidural steroid injection?

A transforaminal epidural steroid injection is an outpatient procedure that is used to diagnose and provide some relief from back and leg pain. The injection is carefully delivered to an opening of the spine (called a foramen) to address an inflamed nerve root as it exits the spine. The medication used is a combination of steroid and anesthetic, which both numbs the area while the steroid reduces swelling and inflammation of irritated spinal nerves. At Pain Care, we perform such injections for residents of the Metro Atlanta, Georgia, area, who have pain in their lower back or leg.

How is the Procedure Performed?

Steroids can be placed to decrease inflammation in a irritated nerve via different approaches. One of the most common ones is to place epidural steroid injections via the transforaminal route using a. X-ray machine to place the steroid medication between the disc and the nerve root. Together with physical therapy this is a very effective way to stop pain going down your leg and provide you pain relief for your herniated disc. This procedure can be done with or without sedation in a pain-free, stress-free environment by a board-certified pain physician.

How effective is transforaminal injection?

Some patients report pain relief within 30 minutes after the injection, but pain may return a few hours later as the anesthetic wears off. Typically, patients will start to notice pain relief around 3-5 days after the procedure, when the steroid kicks in.

After the procedure—what to expect.

Initially, you may experience numbness and/or relief from your symptoms for up to six hours after the injection. When the anesthetic wears off, your usual symptoms may return. The steroids usually require three to five days to provide pain relief. If there is no change in your pain symptoms after a week, your doctor may want to investigate other possible sources for your pain. Possible side effects steroid medications may cause facial flushing, occasional low-grade fevers, hiccups, insomnia, headaches, water retention, and increased appetite. How long the pain relief lasts is different for each patient. For some, the relief lasts several months or longer. If the treatment works for you, you can have periodic injections to stay pain-free. Very often more than 1 injection is necessary to achieve a good level of pain relief.

At Pain Care, we know chronic pain reduces a person’s ability to live their lives. Knowing your options and treatment availability is important to maintaining the lifestyle you deserve and to keep you doing the things you love.

To book your new patient consultation call us at 770-771-6580 or visit our website and speak with our online nurse Natalie to learn more.

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Casey Business Development Coordinator