Epidural Steroid Injection to Treat the Spinal Cord

Epidural steroid injection is the injection of an anti-inflammatory drug into the epidural space and around the spinal nerves in order to reduce inflammation, swelling and pressure on the nerves. It can also reduce symptoms of leg and back pain in patients suffering from herniated spinal disc, spinal stenosis or herniated nucleus pulposus.

 

The patient will be given a local anaesthetic to numb the skin before the steroid is injected. It does not harm the spinal nerves or the spinal cord, so there is very little pain at the site of injection. It is also possible to deliver injections at the same site again. However, it is mostly injected only once or only once per year, because the drug can work for several days to several months. Moreover, it takes only 10 minutes to perform an injection.

1. The patient should eat soft food that is easy to digest such as rice porridge or congee before the injection.

2. The patient can take personal medications, especially medications that the patient has continuously been taking such as hypertension medications.

3. The patient has to stop taking aspirin or anticoagulants for at least 7 days before receiving the injection.

4. Before receiving the injection, the staff will instruct the patient to lie down horizontally in order to clean the skin at the site of injection by using a sterilizing agent. Next, a doctor will deliver the injection while the patient is lying down horizontally. The patient’s blood pressure is measured before and after the injection.

 

Initially, there will be signs of numbness and a feeling of heaviness on both legs. However, these symptoms will disappear within 2-3 hours. Then the existing back pain and leg pain will gradually subside within 3 days.

Appropriate Behaviors after Receiving Epidural Steroid Injection to Treat Spinal Cord Pain

 

  -    The patient can return home immediately after the injection.

  -    The patient should avoid heavy work for at least 3 days.

  -    After receiving the injection, if the patient’s back symptoms decrease after the next day, the patient can start performing light work normally.

1.  It allows patients to reduce taking of pain medications or anti-inflammatory medications that they have to regularly take before their injection. In some patients, they do not have to take any pain or anti-inflammatory medication for a long time after receiving their injection.

2.  It alleviates leg and back pain symptoms due to compression of the nerves in the spinal cavity.

3.  It allows patients to return to normal living with better quality of life.