Epidural Steroid Injections

Epidural steroid injections (ESI) can provide long-term relief from neck, back, arm, and leg pain. Andrew Morchower, MD, MPH, is a board-certified interventional spine and pain management and physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) physician who provides ESI to treat pain conditions that affect the spine. Call OmniSpine Pain Management in Frisco or Mesquite, Texas, today or schedule an appointment online to find out how ESIs can reduce your pain.

What are epidural steroid injections?

Epidural steroid injections (ESI) are pain management treatments that reduce pain in the neck, arms, back, and legs caused by inflamed spinal nerves and bulging discs.

During the injection, Dr. Morchower delivers an anti-inflammatory medication (steroid) into the epidural space in your spine, targeting the spinal nerves, discs, and joints. The medication reduces inflammation, easing pain.

What conditions benefit from epidural steroid injections?

At OmniSpine Pain Management, Dr. Morchower uses ESI to treat conditions that affect the spine and cause pain in the neck and back that radiates into the arms and legs. The conditions that benefit from ESI include:

• Disc herniation (protruding disc that irritates a nerve)
• Degenerative disc disease (DDD) (affecting spinal space and disc health)
• Spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal)
• Spondylolysis (slippage of a spinal vertebra)
• Sciatica (compression of the sciatic nerve)

In addition to easing pain, Dr. Morchower performs ESI to determine if you’re a candidate for surgery. The injection can also relieve your pain so you can comfortably participate in other treatments, like physical therapy.

What happens during epidural steroid injections?

Dr. Morchower has advanced training in epidural steroid injections. The injections take less than 15 minutes. Dr. Morchower injects a local anesthetic at the site of your ESI to numb the area. He might also give you a light sedative to help you relax.

Using X-ray guided-imaging (fluoroscopy), Dr. Morchower guides the  needle into the epidural space between the bony vertebrae and delivers the medication, bathing the inflamed nerves.

After your injection, Dr. Morchower sends you to the recovery area and discharges you home. You must arrange to have someone drive you home after your ESI and plan to take it easy the rest of the day.

What can I expect after epidural steroid injections?

You could experience relief from pain about two to four days after your ESI. Dr. Morchower might recommend a series of injections every one to four weeks to receive long-term pain relief.

He also finds people get the best results when they combine ESI with physical therapy and a home exercise program that focuses on strengthening the back muscles, preventing further problems.

Call OmniSpine Pain Management today or schedule your ESI online.