Solution to your Lower Back Pain – The Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injection

The Epidural Space

The dura is like a covering that protects the spinal cord and its nerves. The area surrounding the dura is called the epidural space. In the lower back, this space is referred to as the lumbar epidural space.

Pain in the Epidural Space

The lower back or lumbar spine consists of 5 small bones or vertebrae. There are soft intervertebral discs between the vertebrae which act as cushions and control motion. If one of these discs tears, its contents leak out, in?aming the nearby nerve roots or the dura. This results in significant pain. A large tear may cause a disc to bulge, also resulting in in?ammation and pain. When the discs can’t properly prevent bone rubbing against bone, bone spurs form which can press against the nerve roots and cause pain.

Diagnosing Disc and Nerve Root Pain

If you experience pain in the lower back when you move, it could be due to disc or dural in?ammation. If the lower back pain radiates to your leg when you bend, nerve root in?ammation is likely the cause.

Your pain doctor would use diagnostic imaging, such as MRl, to identify disc bulge and nerve root compression. However, it may not show a torn or herniated disc, which can be confirmed with a lumbar epidural injection.

Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injection

During this outpatient procedure, a mixture of a local anesthetic (numbing medicine) and a corticosteroid (anti-in?ammatory medicine) is injected into the epidural space. This is done to reduce in?ammation.

If the injection is done into the epidural space from behind, it is called an interlaminar injection. If the injection is performed from the side, it is called a transforaminal injection. If the medication is injected next to an individual nerve root, it is called a selective nerve root block. When performed from below it is called a caudal steroid injection.

A local anesthetic is first given to numb the area. A thin needle is then inserted directly into the epidural space using Fluoroscopy. Your doctor may also inject a dye to ensure the needle is in the correct spot. Once the needle is in place, the medication is injected.

After the injection, you would be monitored for about half an hour and then discharged. You may experience immediate pain relief which indicates the medication has reached the right place. You may experience some pain due to the needle irritation which would resolve in a day or two. The steroids may take a few days to a week to start working. Your doctor may ask you to maintain a pain diary to check the effectiveness of the injection.

Depending on your condition, a lumbar epidural steroid injection could offer pain relief for several months after which your doctor may recommend a repeat injection.

To learn more or to consult experienced Maryland pain management doctors, call one of the leading pain management clinics in Annapolis, Maryland, All Star Pain Management, at 443-808-1808 Today.

All Star Pain Management is one of the best pain management clinics in Maryland provides a variety of minimally invasive pain treatments by experienced pain management doctors.