What is the difference between a Transforaminal Epidural versus a General Epidural Steroid Injection?
A transforaminal epidural steroid injection is safer, more precise, and more effective than a general epidural steroid injection. The transforaminal technique is an advanced injection technique that directs the needle obliquely off-center instead of going through the center of the back or neck. Therefore, the needle only travels through skin and muscle without ever entering the central spinal canal. The transforaminal technique places the needle immediately next to a herniated disc or injured nerve root so that the majority of the steroid and local anesthetic medication is delivered precisely to the targeted painful structure, leading to much better long-term clinical outcomes. A general epidural steroid injection directs the needle through the middle of the neck or back and places the steroid into the posterior epidural space which is further away from the disc or nerve root. The general epidural technique tends to be more painful as the needle may pass through the central spinal ligm
