Epidural steroid injections for back pain are sometimes given to those who experience sciatica symptoms or Lumbar Spinal Stenosis (LSS), in which the spinal canal is affected by soft tissue degeneration, which can affect the lower back. Unfortunately, these injections don’t work for many patients and are considered to be ineffective for relieving long-term pain, leading many people to search “pain clinic near me.”

However, there may be hope of avoiding lumbar fusion surgery for patients who have this condition and have not experienced relief with steroid injections. Here are a few questions and answers about steroid injection therapy that fails and what can be done about it.

Why don’t steroid injections work?

Steroid injections may work for some patients but not for others; results are often unpredictable. Some may get weeks or months of relief, while others will see no relief or very short-term relief. Steroid injections often aren’t effective when it comes to avoiding lumbar fusion surgery, and may not be appropriate for all cases of back pain. Typically, these injections fail to help patients who have chronic pain, especially over the long term.

Are spine surgery or long-term pain medications my only options when physical therapy and epidural steroid injections don’t work?

Recent advances in minimally invasive interventional procedures have made it possible to relieve pain long-term while avoiding lumbar fusion surgery. Superion® by Vertiflex is a minimally invasive procedure where a small spacer is inserted on the outside of the spinal column to help treat sciatica due to pinched nerve roots.

This procedure is performed by board-certified physicians via precision x-ray guidance and is very safe since it doesn’t enter the spinal canal. The procedure only takes about 20-30 minutes, is done under light sedation and patients go home the same day.

Am I a candidate for Superion® Vertiflex?

Patients presenting with the following symptoms may be a potential candidate for the Superion Indirect Decompression System (IDS):

  • Debilitating pain in the buttock, leg and groin area.
  • Feelings of numbness, cramps, weakness or stiffening in the buttocks or legs.
  • Difficulty walking, movement or standing that goes away with bending at the waist or sitting down.

If you’re in chronic pain due to Lumbar Spinal Stenosis or sciatica and have tried steroid injections or other conventional treatments without success, you could be a candidate for this procedure that may help relieve your pain.

Learn More About Pain Relief at Summit Spine & Joint Centers

At Summit Spine & Joint Centers, we’re thrilled to offer this treatment to our patients, and our renowned physicians are honored to be on the cutting-edge frontier of medicine. If you’re searching “pain clinic near me” and interested in an appointment to discuss this procedure, call Summit Spine & Joint at (770) 962-3642 or contact us online. Our pain clinics are located in Lawrenceville, Lithonia, Roswell and many other communities in the Atlanta metro area!