Are you suffering from chronic lower back or radiating leg pain and want to avoid back surgery? An epidural steroid injection (ESI) may help. ESIs are commonly used in combination with other types of therapies to help relieve back pain. The injection contains a steroid-anesthetic medication which may help alleviate spinal nerve inflammation and improve your pain. The procedure only takes a few minutes and some patients can experience pain relief that lasts anywhere from a few weeks to a year.



What Happens During an ESI Procedure

When receiving an epidural steroid injection, you’ll be asked to lie face down with a cushion beneath your stomach, which will help adjust your spine’s position to receive the injection. Your physician will numb your skin and the area receiving the injection using a fluoroscope, a special type of x-ray, to ensure the injection is properly delivered.

The entire procedure only lasts a few minutes and includes about 20 minutes of recovery time at our pain and wellness clinic to ensure you can return home safely. You’ll have a small bandage placed over the injection site, which you can later remove as instructed by your doctor.

Benefits of ESIs

While not every patient will benefit from ESIs, those that do experience pain relief that can last for months. Some patients may benefit from a single injection while others may need a few to experience the full benefits. Benefits of an epidural steroid injection include:

  • Being able to complete other therapies. With the pain relief ESIs provide, you may be able to participate in physical therapy or an exercise regimen to improve your condition that was not possible before.
  • Minimally invasive procedure. The procedure may be able to help you avoid a more invasive surgery and is completed on an outpatient basis, allowing you to go home the same day.
  • No oral steroid side effects. Since the medication is injected at the source of your pain, it doesn’t have the same side effects as oral steroids.

If you’re searching “pain clinic near me” and considering an ESI for your discomfort, our team at Summit Spine & Joint Centers can help you determine if an epidural steroid injection could help you experience pain relief.

What Happens If the Injections Do Not Relieve Pain

Not everyone will see the same results with ESIs. Some may experience short-term pain relief, while others may not experience relief at all. While ESIs may not be the best choice for all patients suffering from chronic pain, they may help patients experiencing an acute episode of pain.

If an ESI doesn’t work to ease your discomfort, you may qualify for a procedure using Superion® by Vertiflex. This minimally invasive procedure may be able to help relieve pain from sciatica due to pinched nerves. Our physicians can let you know more about which procedures you qualify for if you’re considering ESIs for your pain.

Make an Appointment at Our Pain & Wellness Clinic Today

If you’re looking for a pain clinic for ESIs, contact Summit Spine & Joint Centers at (770) 962-3642. Our pain and wellness clinic can help you decide if an ESI would be the right course of treatment for your lower back or radiating leg pain.