Decrease Your Excruciating Pain with Epidural Injections
It can be easy to grow frustrated when looking for pain management solutions. However, if your chronic neck or back pain involves nerves near your spine, epidural injections could provide the relief you've been searching for.
Our health specialists at Valley Neurology and Pain are experts in helping patients manage painful conditions. In this blog, they explain what epidural injections are and how they may be able to help you.
Understanding epidural injections
The epidural space is the narrow area between your spinal cord and spinal canal that runs the entire length of your spine. This area helps absorb shock and protects other parts of your spinal cord. While the word "space" may make this area sound empty, it actually contains a variety of tissues, such as:
- Fat
- Veins and arteries
- Lymphatics
- Spinal nerve roots
As noted in this list, your nerve roots reside in this area. One common cause of chronic pain is inflamed nerve roots. Epidural injections involve delivering corticosteroid medications into this space directly at the location of the affected nerve roots. The medication can then reduce the inflammation and, as a result, reduce the pain. Pain conditions that respond to epidural injections
Since epidural injections treat irritated or inflamed nerves, they won't work if you have symptoms associated with a soft tissue strain or sprain. Instead, epidural injections can provide pain relief for conditions related to spinal nerves, such as:
- Bulging or herniated discs
- Bone spurs
- Spinal stenosis
- Arthritis
- Sciatica
- Degenerative disc problems
- Failed back surgery syndrome
Whenever possible, we usually try conservative methods first when treating pain conditions. However, if your symptoms don't respond, we could suggest an epidural injection. What to expect during an epidural injection
Getting an epidural injection usually takes 10-20 minutes. To keep you comfortable, we inject a local anesthetic near your treatment site to numb the area before inserting the epidural needle.
To administer your injection, we use a special X-ray guidance tool called a fluoroscope. This ensures we deliver the medication exactly where you need it most.
After receiving your injection, you can sit, stand, or walk immediately. It usually takes 1-3 days for an epidural injection to work, but it can take up to a week in some cases. If you find relief with this therapy, results typically last 3-6 months, though sometimes they can last longer.
At Valley Neurology and Pain, with three convenient Arizona locations in Phoenix and Peoria, you are never a number. Your consultation, examination, and treatment are always administered by a highly qualified physician. If you would like to schedule a pain consultation, we have experienced physicians who can help you, including Toure Knighton, MD, Jin Yuk, MD, and Patricia Henthorn, DC, DAAMUAP. To learn more, book an appointment online or over the phone today.
