Epidural Spinal Injections
Epidural spinal injection is a non surgical treatment option that is used to help a patient get relief from inflammation and pain like neck pain and lower back pain.
Epidural treatment is considered as one of the most effective conservative treatment.
Epidural spinal injections provide instant relief to the patient because it delivers anti-inflammatory medication directly and quite fast to the problem area and therefore instant pain relief.
Epidural Treatment
Epidural treatment is mainly used to help patient get relief from inflammation that is usually a result from different spinal conditions.
These spinal conditions range from spinal stenosis, herniated disc to degenerative disc disease.
These problems not only cause severe neck pain and lower back pain to the patient but in severe cases left they physically disabled.
With the help of epidural injections the patient is enabled to pursue physical therapy as well as rehabilitation.
The injection is administered in the dura of the spinal cord (epidural area) with the help of fluoroscopy or live X-ray for guidance. This procedure usually takes about thirty minutes and then forty five minutes as recovery time.
Although this procedure is not uncomfortable but sedation is also an available option to help the patients deal with anxiety and to make him for more comfortable.
Epidural spinal injection is a generally successful non-surgical treatment and is known to provide relief from pain for approximately 50% of the patients.
Epidural Risks
Being a minimally invasive treatment option epidural injection is considered less risky than an invasive procedure like a neck pain surgery. However, there are certain potential risks associated with epidural injections. These risks include:
- Minor infections. Severe infections are rare.
- Bleeding
- Nerve Damage
- Dural Puncture
- Decreased immunity
- Stomach Ulcers
- High blood sugar
- Avascular Necrosis
- High Blood Sugar
- Cataracts
- Transient flushing
