Epidural Steroid Injections

Neck and back pain are among the top causes of chronic pain and disability. If you struggle with pain that hasn’t improved with conventional medical care, it’s time to meet with Roland Reinhart, MD, and his pain management team. They offer nonsurgical treatments like epidural steroid injections. At the office of Roland Reinhart, MD, in Palm Desert, California, the skilled team has relieved the pain of many patients with an epidural steroid injection. Book an appointment online or call the office today to learn more about this safe, effective treatment.

What is an epidural steroid injection?

An epidural steroid injection sends two medications, a steroid and a local anesthetic, into the space surrounding your spinal cord (the epidural space). The spinal nerve roots are in the epidural space, allowing the medications to flow around the targeted nerves.

You get quick but short-term pain relief from the anesthetic. The steroid medication reduces nerve inflammation. Steroids take a few days to work, but most people notice longer-lasting results once the inflammation improves.

When would I need an epidural steroid injection?

Your provider can recommend an epidural steroid injection to relieve neck, back, arm, and leg pain caused by inflamed spinal nerves. The inflammation usually arises from an injury or a spine condition like:

• Herniated discs
• Bulging discs
• Facet joint arthritis
• Bone spurs
• Thickened ligaments
• Spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal)
• Degenerative disc disease

When spinal nerves are inflamed or injured, the symptoms radiate along the nerve, causing arm or leg pain and tingling.

What happens during an epidural steroid injection?

Many people feel anxious about needing a spine injection but have confidence in the skill and experience of your Office of Roland Reinhart, MD, provider. Their team has safely performed countless spine procedures, including epidural steroid injections.

They ensure your comfort with a topical anesthetic and guide the procedure using an advanced X-ray technique (fluoroscopy) that produces real-time imaging. With fluoroscopy, your provider sees your spine and precisely inserts the needle into the epidural space near the inflamed nerves.

After inserting the slim needle, they inject a dye and watch how it circulates in the epidural space, verifying that the injected dye surrounds the injured nerves. Leaving the needle in place, they inject the medications.

How long will an epidural steroid injection ease pain? 

Each person responds differently to the medications. Also, the underlying cause of the inflammation will affect your results. However, epidural steroid injections can produce significant pain relief with long-lasting results.

For many, the relief lasts 3-6 months and sometimes a year or longer. Others who don’t respond well to steroids might need a second injection to improve their results. Or, an epidural steroid injection could be the start of long-term results if the pain relief frees you to engage in physical therapy.

Call the office of Roland Reinhart, MD, today, or request an appointment through online booking to learn if your pain can improve with an epidural steroid injection.