Cortisone is an older steroid that is no longer commercially used.  The term “cortisone” is now used to mean “corticosteroid”, which is a group of steroid medications that have anti-inflammatory properties.  At Unique Pain Medicine, we use safe and effective corticosteroids for epidural injections.  They have an excellent safety profile, and produces fast, effective pain relief without unwanted side effects. 

Side effects generally do not occur. When they do, they tend to be mild and easy to manage. Some possible side effects include temporary facial redness, mild sleep disturbances, menstrual changes, and elevated blood sugar in diabetics.

Epidural injections are generally minimally uncomfortable and very well tolerated. If you have a fear of needles or have severe pain, we do offer IV sedation which is administered by a board certified anesthesiologist. This will help you relax and make the procedure painless.

Epidural injections can be given up to a maximum of 3 injections in a 6 month period, or a total of 4 injections in a 12 month period.  It is safe to repeat the epidural injection 2 weeks later should it become necessary.  For most patients, only 1 or 2 epidural injections is required for complete pain relief. 

Epidural injections typically take 3-5 days to take full effect.  There may be some immediate pain relief right after the procedure, but we advise patients to give the medications a few days to work for maximal results. 

Epidural injections are used to treat low back pain, sciatica, leg pain/weakness/numbness, neck pain, arm pain and/or numbness/tingling, herniated discs, lumbar radiculopathy and cervical radiculopathy and discogenic pain.

Lumbar epidural steroid injections are typically performed at the L5 – S1 level.  If that space is fused, or if there is prior surgery at that level, an epidural may be performed at the L4 – L5 level.  The spinal cord typically ends at L1 – L2 level, leaving a large margin for safety.  Cervical epidural injections are typically done at the C7-T1 level.

Epidural injections are very safe. With highly experienced and knowledgeable physicians performing the procedure, serious complications are extremely rare.  The most common possible complication is a headache, which occurs < 1% of the time.

This will depend on your condition and the degree of nerve damage or inflammation. For some people, epidural injections last for many years. For others, 6-12 months. Epidural injections will not work for everyone. If epidural injections are not working and pain persists, you will be referred to a surgeon for consultation.

You will rest in the recovery room and be monitored for 30 minutes after the procedure. There is usually no down time. The band aid can be removed the next day. You may feel better right away, or it can take a few days for the full effect. You can expect your pain to slowly subside, and you can increase your activity level.