Chronic back pain can significantly impact daily life, making even simple tasks like putting on slippers challenging.
At Pain Care, with six locations in Georgia, we focus on improving your quality of life through treatments and therapies that tackle pain at its source. Our services include minimally invasive procedures like spinal cord stimulation, Intracept™, and Minuteman® for chronic back pain.
Another option is an epidural steroid injection (ESI). But when is it the right choice? Read on to find out what epidural injections are and when our team considers them beneficial.
An epidural injection for chronic back pain typically contains a corticosteroid and a local anesthetic. When injected into the epidural space around the spinal cord and nerve roots, the medication can reduce inflammation and alleviate pain caused by irritated nerves.
Your Pain Care specialist may recommend an epidural steroid injection (ESI) for chronic back pain linked to specific conditions, including:
When herniated spinal discs press on nearby nerves, the resulting irritation and inflammation can lead to significant pain.
Narrowing (stenosis) of the spinal canal or spaces can compress nerves, causing pain, numbness, or weakness.
Characterized by radiating pain down the leg, sciatica results from sciatic nerve compression, often from a herniated disc or bone spur.
Age-related changes in spinal discs can contribute to nerve irritation and inflammation, causing chronic back pain that may travel into the arms, shoulders, or legs.
Some individuals continue to experience pain even after surgery, and ESIs may help manage discomfort.
For those suffering from chronic back pain, an ESI offers several potential benefits:
Many individuals experience significant pain relief after an ESI, sometimes lasting weeks to months, often allowing participation in physical therapy and other beneficial treatments.
The corticosteroid in the epidural steroid injection is a potent anti-inflammatory that decreases swelling around irritated nerves. As the inflammation decreases, pain, mobility, and function increase.
ESI is a quick, in-office procedure with minimal downtime afterward. Your Pain Care specialist uses advanced imaging techniques to ensure the injection reaches the targeted treatment area.
Relief from chronic pain helps empower individuals to resume an active life. Chronic pain relief also reduces the risk of anxiety, depression, and the sense of social isolation that many individuals with ongoing pain experience.
While epidural injections can be highly effective, they are not a cure-all. Pain relief from an ESI can last from weeks to months, but it is rarely a permanent solution.
We must also limit the number of injections you receive to prevent potential complications such as loss of bone density from frequent steroid use.
Thus, your Pain Care provider may consider ESI as part of a comprehensive pain management plan that may include physical therapy, lifestyle changes, and other minimally invasive interventions.
Schedule a visit at Pain Care today. Contact one of our six locations in Georgia for outstanding care tailored to your needs.
