EPIDURAL STEROID INJECTION (ESI) may relieve back pain, leg pain, and numbness or weakness caused by a pinched nerve root.
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS include increased likelihood of correct diagnosis and/or decrease or elimination of your pain.
|
• Blood loss. Blood loss from EPIDURAL STEROID INJECTION (ESI) is usually small. But as with any procedure, there is always the potential for bleeding, bruising or even major life-threatening blood loss. You should not be taking or be on Coumadin, Plavix, Aggrenox, Pletal, Ticlid, and Lovenox. • Dysthetic (stabbing, burning) leg pain (fewer than 5 in 100 cases). • Infection (fewer than 1 in 100 cases). Even with antibiotics and careful sterile techniques, there is still a very small risk of developing a wound infection. • Damage to spinal nerves (fewer than 1 in 10,000 cases). If nerves are damaged, you could be left with permanent pain, numbness or weakness in your arms (as a result of prolonged position) or your legs, such as foot drop. • Scar tissue formation (fewer than 5 in 100 cases) requiring further intervention such as additional procedures or surgery • Failure to relieve symptoms. Your physician will do everything possible to give you the best results. Even so, the procedure may not relieve all your symptoms. |
EPIDURAL STEROID INJECTION (ESI) is usually done after nonsurgical treatment options have failed. These can include:
• Medications • Physical therapy • Traction • Watching and waiting
If you feel your symptoms are not severe enough to have surgery, tell your doctor. He or she will respect your decision. |