Epidural Steroid Injection Specialist

If you suffer from severe back or neck pain, an epidural steroid injection can offer both short-term and lasting pain relief. At Alliance Spine Associates, LLC, the skilled pain management providers use cutting-edge treatments like epidural steroid injections to help you better manage your pain. Book your appointment by calling the Fair Lawn, New Jersey, office or booking online today.

What are epidural steroid injections?

Epidural steroid injections contain a local anesthetic and a long-lasting strong corticosteroid, also called depo steroid. The local anesthetic provides short-term pain relief. The depo-steroid reduces inflammation in the spinal canal to provide long-term pain relief.

The three types of epidural steroid injections are: 

• Cervical epidural steroid injections that treat neck pain
• Lumbar epidural steroid injections that treat lower back pain
• Thoracic epidural steroid injections that treat mid- and upper-back pain

Epidural steroid injections are effective against many pain-causing injuries and conditions throughout your spine.

What conditions do epidural steroid injections treat?

Epidural steroid injections treat many conditions that cause back and neck pain, including: 

• Herniated discs
• Spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal)
• Degenerative disc disease
• Osteoarthritis
• Nerve compression in the lower spine (sciatica)
• Nerve compression in the upper spine (cervical radiculopathy)

Epidural steroid injections might also help with pain that involves inflammation, like cancer pain.

What happens during an epidural steroid injection procedure?

During the epidural steroid injection, your Alliance Spine Associates, LLC doctor numbs the treatment area and gives you medicine to help you relax or fall asleep. After that, the doctor will use fluoroscopic (X-ray) guidance to position the injection in the correct spot within your epidural space. The epidural space houses many tiny nerves that extend throughout your spine and body.

You might feel a burning sensation during the injection. But thanks to the local anesthetic, most people tolerate epidural steroid injections quite well.

What can I expect after an epidural steroid injection?

You can generally return to your regular activities whenever you feel ready, usually on the next day. 

You’ll still experience some pain (and possibly an increase) after your injection. But the steroid goes to work within 1-3 days in most cases. At that time, you’ll experience a noticeable reduction in pain.

Epidural steroid injections can reduce your pain from a day to a few months or longer. If the treatment reduces your pain, you can have repeat injections a few times a year. But too many steroids can cause osteoporosis (bone thinning), significantly increasing your risk of fractures.

If epidural steroid injections work well for pain relief, you could be a good candidate for other treatments that last longer, like radiofrequency ablation.

Schedule your epidural steroid injection by calling Alliance Spine Associates, LLC now or using the online booking tool.