Hi there,

I'm not a doctor so I can only tell you about my experience with an epidural steroid injection in 2003.

As far as I understand, when they do this proceedure they are injecting steroids directly into the area of the back that is being affected by pain. Steroids can reduce any swelling in the area, therefore if the nerves are being pinched by a swelling in the area then it can help with that.

I'll be honest with you, it wasn't a particularly pleasant thing to go through. It's a very peculiar feeling when the injection goes in and I felt very numb for several hours aftewards. They wouldn't let me come home until the feeling had completely returned and I was able to walk and stand ok. I was also very sore for a few days afterwards too and needed pretty much complete bedrest for 2 days. I have heard of several people on other forums where this proceedure has been really helpful to them. It didn't actually work for because in the end I needed surgery but hopefully it will work for you.

I hope this helps a little bit. Try not to worry (easier said than done I know - I remember how scared I was beforehand!), this is far less invasive than surgery and may do the trick for you. Good luck and I hope things work out for you.

Hi Zeldabm27 and welcome to the forum,

Spicey provided an excellent description of what seems to be the normal experience from the patient’s perspective regarding the injection and recovery from the injection. The content (medication used in the injection) of the injection, depending upon the purpose for the injection can vary. Although it is most commonly a combination of numbing agents and anti-inflammatory agents (steroids), the amount of each can be adjusted. Patients like myself who experience steroidal flushes will and do receive injections containing little to no steroids.

In addition to the information that Spicey provided I’d like to add that epidural and facet joint injections permit contact of steroidal and other injected agents with the bones surrounding the injection site for up to 12 months following the injection. The good news for those patients who do achieve positive results from the injections is that they can obtain relief for up to twelve months. The bad news is some patients receive no relief while others receive affects of varying degrees, lasting for varying amounts of time. The really bad new is, bones exposed to steroids degenerate at an accelerated rate and continue to do so for as long as the steroid is present (approximately 12 months).

It’s a bit of a crapshoot regarding what you might expect in terms of relief. I will however keep my fingers crossed and hope that you are one of the fortunate ones who receives optimal relief.

Good Luck,
Tyton