What is a lumbar epidural steroid injection?
A lumbar epidural steroid injection is performed to help diagnose and treat the cause of your back and leg pain. The lumbar nerves travel from your back to your legs. Pressure or irritation of these nerves will result in back and leg pain. The most common reason this might occur is with disc degeneration, herniated disc, and spinal stenosis. By using local anesthetic and “turning off” the nerve for a short time, we can have some idea as to the cause of your pain. In addition, by placing a small amount of steroid onto the nerve and epidural space, we can help relieve the swelling and inflammation causing your pain.
