What to expect after an epidural steroid injection for back pain - FAQs

What to expect after an epidural steroid injection for back pain - FAQs

An epidural steroid injection in the low back is a spinal injection to target certain types of low back pain.

If your physician has recommended an epidural steroid injection for your low back pain, you may be wondering what to expect, both during and after the procedure.

In this blog post, we will try to answer some frequently asked questions about the procedure, what to expect, and the steps following it.

What should I expect during the procedure?

You will likely be positioned on a table and an XRY device used to visualize your spine. Various types of anesthesia, including local anesthesia, can be used to decrease pain, anxiety, and numb the area prior to the procedure. If you are using only local anesthesia, you may feel a quick stinging sensation which will last a few seconds while the numbing medication is administered. After to that, you may feel pressure in the area that the physician is working.

Immediately after the procedure.

After the procedure, you'll be carefully monitored by nursing staff as your sedation wears off. You may feel some discomfort and soreness at the cite of the procedure. An ice pack may be given to you to decrease any swelling at the site of the procedure. Remember, muscle pain/soreness and swelling is normal after a procedure like this. Applying an ice pack to the area intermittently throughout the day can decrease this pain.

In the days following the procedure.

It's common to feel some continued discomfort or hypersensitivity in the area of the procedure. Although you may notice significant pain relief immediately following the procedure, this is most likely due to the effects of the anesthetic which can wear off. The full pain relief from an epidural steroid injection will likely take a week or more to take effect so keep this in mind if you don't feel relief immediately following the procedure.

Follow up.

The doctor will likely schedule you for a follow up treatment or appointment in order to get the best pain relief or to further assess the pain, as well as the efficacy of treatment. These follow-up appointments are important to keep in order to make sure that you are getting the maximum benefit from the treatment.

If you experience low back pain, call Pain Medicine Group today for your personalized evaluation and treatment plan!

Author

Mauna Radahd, MD