When you develop back pain, this can significantly affect your life. The pain can make you have sleepless nights and walking becomes a challenge. Finding what is causing the pain and how it can be treated becomes your priority. If this description fits you, there is hope in The Woodlands spinal stenosis. Jessen Mukalel MD has been helping the residents of The Woodlands, TX, struggling with chronic back and nerve pain using epidural steroid injections. This treatment method has revolutionized the management of nerve pain all over the world.
How epidural steroid injections help
Epidurals shots contain medication that helps reduce inflammation and pain in your epidural space (the outermost portion of your spinal canal, where the roots of the nerves are found).
You may be shocked at the thought of planting a needle injection in your spine. This emphasizes the need to seek a qualified and experienced provider. A wrong move can make you confined to a wheelchair for the rest of your life.
Jessen Mukalel MD will use X-ray imaging during the procedure to help precisely deliver the correct dose of steroid and anesthetic medication to the area that is giving you pain. Epidural injections can take up to 7 days to work after your injection and remain potent for several months. The medicine fights off inflammation of the nerve roots and soothes your back to give relief from pain.
When Can Epidural Steroid Injections Help?
Epidural injections do not provide relief for all types of back pains. These include pain from strains and sprains. Instead, the injections are designed to help provide relief from pain originating from the nerves at your back. Epidural steroid injections will provide relief against pain for the following conditions:
- Spinal stenosis
- Bone spurs
- Injuries to your spinal nerves, vertebrae, and surrounding tissues
- Bulging or herniated discs
- Failed back surgery syndrome that is characterized by chronic leg or back pain
Jessen Mukalel MD will start your treatment using conservative treatment methods including physical therapy and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to manage your pain. Epidural steroid injections are high in the hierarchy of nerve pain treatment.
Risks Of Epidural Steroid Injections
Epidural steroid injections have long been used to manage chronic pain. However, there are a few risks linked with the usage of these drugs. Corticosteroid injections have been found to cause infection and nerve damage in a paltry 1% of users. In most of the reported cases, the adverse effects of epidurals emanated from an overdose and not from physician error. Choosing a skilled doctor can help you avoid this problem. Below are the possible side effects of an overdose of corticosteroid medication:
- Hair loss
- Insomnia
- Weakening of muscle, cartilage, and bone
- High blood sugar
- Thinning of the soft tissue and skin at the injection site
- Facial flushing
- Fever
- Headaches
- Hormone imbalance
Proper care and administration of the right amounts of medication are crucial in ensuring the safe use of epidural medication. Visit an experienced physician to help you get relief from nerve pain.