Chronic back and neck pain can impair your ability to participate in social-, work-, or hobby-related activities you once enjoyed. Even a good night’s sleep or the ability to engage in helpful treatments like physical therapy may be out of reach until your pain is under control.
The spine and pain specialists at ISP Health, PLLC, John Michels, MD, Rachel K., Kaufman, MD, and Clara Trautmann, NP, offer top-level pain management services to individuals throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth region of Texas. They are committed to solving chronic pain at its source with minimally invasive therapies that restore mobility and improve your quality of life.
Read more from the team at ISP Health regarding the benefits of epidural steroid injections and four common conditions that typically respond well to these pain-relieving injections.
An epidural steroid injection (ESI) is a common procedure that our providers use to treat inflammation and pain associated with spinal nerve compression.
During the in-office procedure, they inject a corticosteroid medication, and usually a local anesthetic, into the epidural space of the spine. The epidural space is the area that surrounds the spinal cord and nerve roots.
A corticosteroid injection reduces inflammation and decreases pain by soothing irritated nerves when injected into this area. The local anesthetic provides immediate pain relief, while the anti-inflammatory effects of the steroid provide longer-term relief.
ISP Health providers typically recommend ESI for patients who have failed to respond to more conservative therapies for back pain, leg pain, or other symptoms caused by nerve irritation or inflammation in the epidural space.
While ESIs can be extremely helpful, they are often most effective when combined with other pain management treatments, such as physical therapy that tackle pain at its source.
The team may recommend epidural steroid injections for:
Herniated discs occur when the soft inner material of a spinal disc protrudes through the tougher outer layer, often pressing on nearby nerves and causing pain. This condition can lead to debilitating symptoms such as back pain and numbness or weakness in your arms or legs.
Epidural steroid injections can help by reducing inflammation around the affected nerve roots, thereby alleviating pain and improving mobility. ESIs can provide significant relief for many patients with herniated discs, allowing them to resume their daily activities with less discomfort.
Spinal stenosis involves the narrowing of the spinal canal, which can put pressure on the spinal cord and nerves, leading to pain, tingling, and weakness in the back and legs.
Epidural steroid injections are often used to manage the symptoms of spinal stenosis by reducing inflammation and swelling in the affected area.
While ESIs may not reverse the narrowing of the spinal canal, they can provide temporary relief from pain and improve overall function, allowing patients to engage in physical therapy and other rehabilitative measures more comfortably.
Sciatica refers to pain that radiates along the path of the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back down through the hips and buttocks and into each leg. This pain can be the result of various factors, including herniated discs, spinal stenosis, or other conditions causing compression of the nerve roots.
Epidural steroid injections help relieve sciatic pain by targeting the inflamed nerve roots and reducing swelling, thereby providing relief from discomfort and promoting better mobility.
For many patients with sciatica, ESIs serve as a valuable tool in managing symptoms and improving quality of life.
Degenerative disc disease is a condition characterized by the breakdown of the discs in the spine, often resulting in pain, stiffness, and reduced flexibility. While we can’t reverse the degenerative process itself, epidural steroid injections can be beneficial in managing the associated pain and inflammation.
By delivering corticosteroids directly to the affected area, ESIs can alleviate symptoms and improve function, allowing patients to maintain a higher level of activity and quality of life. This also gives you an opportunity to institute back-friendly exercises, nutrition, and other healthy habits that can help stall the degenerative process.
Schedule an evaluation with ISP Health, PLLC, today for more information about epidural steroid injections or other pain management therapies that solve the dilemma of chronic pain.
