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.
When an Atlanta, GA, patient turns to us for a spine injection, they can expect to undergo the following steps:
- Preparation – The patient will lie face down with a cushion under the stomach to properly align the spine for the procedure.
- Anesthetic administration – The skin and tissue surrounding the affected area of the spine is numbed using an injection of local anesthetic.
- Contrast injection – A solution is injected around the inflamed nerves. This solution allows the physician to better see the elements of the spine using a fluoroscope, thereby ensuring that the needle that will inject the medicine is properly in place.
- Medication injection – The steroid-anesthetic combination medication is then injected near the inflamed nerves, bathing them in the solution and potentially alleviating the patient’s pain.
After the needle is removed, the physician bandages the area. Some patients experience almost immediate relief following the injection, whereas others require several injections before they experience a decrease in their pain.
For more information about transforaminal epidural steroid injection procedure that we perform, contact Pain Care today. With our experienced physicians and patient-centric approach to pain management, we are happy to help people in the Metro Atlanta, GA, area with their back and leg pain. Call or use our online form to request an appointment.
