Who is a good candidate for an epidural injection?
In some patients, irritation or pressure occurs on an individual spinal nerve. This irritation can cause pain and numbness or tingling in the head, neck, arms, legs or buttocks, depending on the level of spinal nerve involvement. Patients with a recent onset of pain may respond better than those with long-standing pain. Also, patients with pain due to nerve irritation affecting a leg or arm often experience greater relief of their symptoms than individuals with only back pain. What to Expect? An epidural steroid injection procedure usually takes between 15 and 20 minutes. The patient lies flat on an x-ray table on their abdomen. Prior to the epidural injection the skin is numbed with a local anesthetic, similar to the “numbing” medicine a dentist uses. Using fluoroscopy (live x-ray) for guidance, the physician directs the needle toward the epidural space. Fluoroscopy is used to identify the correct location in the spine for needle placement. In some circumstances, the physician may not
