Epidural Steroid Injection Specialist

Interventional Pain Institute

Interventional Pain Management & Minimally Invasive Spine Specialist located in Chesterfield, Festus, Bridgeton, and Troy, MO

Inflammation of your spinal nerves from spinal stenosis, a herniated disc, or bone spurs may cause chronic pain and discomfort in your neck, back, arms, or legs. An epidural steroid injection may help reduce the inflammation and alleviate your symptoms. At Interventional Pain Institute in Chesterfield, Festus, and Bridgeton, Missouri, Ramis Gheith, MD, MS, and the team offer many treatment options to reduce pain, including epidural steroid injections. Call the office nearest you or book an appointment online to schedule a consultation today.

Epidural Steroid Injection Q & A

What is an epidural steroid injection?

An epidural steroid injection is one of the many services offered at Interventional Pain Institute to alleviate chronic pain conditions.

During the injection, Dr. Gheith administers a steroid and local anesthetic into the epidural space in your spine. The epidural space is the fat-filled space outside the membrane that protects your spinal cord.

Who benefits from an epidural steroid injection?

At Interventional Pain Institute, Dr. Gheith and the pain medicine experts use epidural steroid injections to treat patients suffering from pain caused by spinal stenosis or sciatica.

Spinal stenosis

With spinal stenosis, you have a narrowing of the space in your spine, which may irritate or compress your spinal cord or spinal nerves. You may develop spinal stenosis in any part of your spine, but it most often affects the cervical (neck) and lumbar (lower back) spine.

With spinal stenosis, you may experience neck or back pain that radiates to your extremities.

Sciatica

Sciatica occurs when your sciatic nerve is irritated or compressed. Your sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in your body and runs from your lower back into your buttocks and down your leg on both sides of your body.

With sciatica, you may experience various types of pain that radiate into your leg on one side of your body.

What happens during an epidural steroid injection?

During your epidural steroid injection, Dr. Gheith has you lie on an exam table. He first injects a local anesthetic at the site of your pain to minimize discomfort.

Using guided imagery, he inserts a hollow needle into the epidural space in your spine and injects the medication, bathing the irritated and inflamed nerves.

Depending on your needs, he may perform more than one injection during your procedure.

What happens after an epidural steroid injection?

After your epidural steroid injection, you remain at the office for a short time for monitoring before going home. Because the injection may affect leg strength, Dr. Gheith recommends arranging to have someone drive you home after the procedure.

You may start to notice an improvement in your pain within a week and the full effects within four weeks. Epidural steroid injection results vary from patient to patient. You may experience pain relief for a few weeks, months, or years.

To schedule a consultation at Interventional Pain Institute, call the office nearest you or book online today.

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