What Are Epidural Injections?

Epidural injections provide delivery of therapeutic medicines to the spine and the nerve roots.  These injections are commonly used to provide anesthesia during childbirth or pain relief in cases of nerve or spinal pain such as herniated discs or spinal stenosis.  These injections are typically performed in disinfected procedure rooms by doctors using computer-controlled maps of the spine.  The patient can be awake or put to sleep depending on preference and it is done as a treatment that does not need to take place in a hospital.

The success of these procedures can be different and often, patients may require more than 1 injection to achieve a full therapeutic effect.  Talk to your doctor about your particular condition to help set realistic goals.

While epidural injections can provide pain relief for a variety of spinal problems, long-term management often includes a stretching and strengthening program of the core and paraspinal muscles to help strengthen the spine during activities.