Chronic lower back pain can feel all-encompassing. It affects every area of life, making it difficult to sleep, focus on work and chores, or participate in favorite activities. If the pain does not get better with rest and over-the-counter medications, it may seem inescapable.
Fortunately, fast and effective treatments exist for persistent lumbar pain. Southlake Orthopaedics offers a full range of pain management strategies, including epidural steroid injections. This treatment delivers pain-killing medicine directly to the site of pain, providing fast-acting relief that can last for several months at a time. Steroid injections are available at our locations in Hoover and Birmingham-Grandview, Alabama, helping patients throughout the state find less pain, more living.
The lumbar spine, or lower back, is composed of five spinal bones called vertebrae. These bones are arranged in an interlocking column with spinal discs separating each pair. The spinal cord passes through the center of this column. This bundle of nerves is responsible for relaying information between the brain and the lower extremities. When an orthopedic condition impacts the vertebrae or spinal discs, the spinal cord becomes pinched, interrupting the flow of information and causing pain.
Epidural steroid injections are a minimally invasive treatment for lower back pain caused by nerve pinching. The physician injects medication into the epidural space, which is a sleeve of fatty tissue and blood vessels surrounding the spinal cord. The medication eliminates nerve irritation for almost immediate pain relief that may last for several months.
Physicians use epidural injections to treat pain in the lumbar spine. This treatment is most effective for pain caused by spinal cord or nerve compression. The following conditions are common causes for lumbar nerve compression:
Epidural injections provide immediate and long-lasting relief for all the above conditions. They do not treat the condition itself, however. Instead, the goal is to mitigate symptoms. This treatment is a good strategy for patients who have a chronic pain condition but do not need or want surgery. It can reduce long-term reliance on pain relief medications, improving the patient’s overall health and quality of life.
Epidural steroid injections are an outpatient procedure, meaning that they do not require a stay at the hospital. They also do not require general anesthesia, though sedation may be offered to help the patient relax. The procedure takes between 15 and 30 minutes to complete. It involves these steps:
A slight pinch, gentle pressure, tingling, or a momentary sensation of mild pain may accompany the injection. This sensation is temporary and should go away as soon as the procedure is complete. If a local anesthesia is used, there may be no discomfort at all.
Most patients can go back to normal activities the same day as their procedure. The steroid begins working within one to three days, though it may take up to one week to experience the full benefits. Pain relief lasts for several months before the effects fade. In the meantime, physical therapy may be recommended to strengthen back muscles and prevent the pain from recurring.
Patients struggling with chronic pain can find proven relief at Southlake Orthopaedics. We are a multi-specialty team of orthopedic physicians providing complete care for all types of chronic pain conditions. We support patients at every stage, from diagnosis to rehabilitation, with a variety of on-site resources, including a physical therapy clinic and custom orthotics lab. Patients enjoy the convenience of receiving all levels of care at a single location.
Our care plans are also fully personalized. Chronic pain affects everybody differently, so the most effective management strategies are tailored to the individual. We take all factors into account when presenting patients with their options, helping them make the best decisions for their treatment.
As Southlake Orthopaedics, epidural injection patients may receive treatment from:
Lower back pain can feel inescapable. Fortunately, help exists for patients in Alabama. Southlake Orthopaedics offers complete pain care with state-of-the-art treatments, including epidural steroid injections, to help patients live without discomfort. Our services are available at offices near you in Hoover and Birmingham-Grandview, AL, serving patients throughout the Central Alabama region. Contact us to learn more about epidural injections or to schedule an appointment and discuss your treatment options.