When an Epidural Injection is the Best Remedy for Neck or Back Pain

Your spine is a complex system of bones, ligaments, blood vessels, discs, fluid, and nerves. All those moving parts have to work in perfect harmony to keep you bending, twisting, and reaching with ease. If any part becomes damaged or impinges on another’s ability to do its job, you’ll experience pain and immobility. The best treatment plan depends on precisely what’s causing the problem, but very often, whatever the core cause is, it’s accompanied by inflammation.
 

Board-certified interventional pain and spine specialist Cyril Philip, MD, of Midwest Sports and Interventional Spine, in Lake Geneva and Kenosha, Wisconsin, specializes in identifying your neck and back pain and helping you overcome it. 
 

But often, the best treatment for your underlying condition is hindered by your pain. That’s when Dr. Philip may recommend an epidural steroid injection (ESI). 

Understanding your spine

Your spine is a long column of bones called vertebrae stacked upon one another. To keep them from rubbing and wearing each other down, your vertebrae are separated by donut-shaped, gel-filled discs that serve as cushions. 
 

Within that column of vertebrae and discs is a superhighway of nerves. The place where they begin is called the nerve root. Because nerves are very sensitive and valuable to sensory and motor skills, they need to be protected. That’s why a dura sac surrounds the nerve roots.
 

The area just outside the dura sac is called the epidural space, and this is the ideal place to deliver medication that will have a direct impact on your painful nerves.

What’s an epidural steroid injection?

When you have pain caused by a compressed nerve, the resulting inflammation adds to your discomfort. Oral medications have to travel a long way before they reach the site of the pain, and they are often diluted in the process. 
 

An ESI delivers anti-inflammatory medication directly to the site, where it can go to work immediately and continue working.
 

Our team uses advanced imaging called fluoroscopy to guide the injection to the right spot in the epidural space. The main ingredient in the injection is a steroid called cortisone, but we may also add a numbing agent called lidocaine to help reduce your pain faster. 

ESI for neck and back pain

When doctors refer to your spine, they divide it into three categories: cervical (neck), thoracic (middle), and lumbar (lower back). 
 

You may experience injuries or degenerative conditions that cause inflammation, nerve compression, and pain anywhere along your spine. ESIs are not intended to heal or cure; however, they are very effective at reducing inflammation and relieving pain so that you can continue with the treatment plan for your primary problem. Here are a few of the neck and back conditions that may benefit from the pain-relieving boost of an ESI:
 

• Herniated disc
• Degenerated disc
• Osteoarthritis
• Sciatica
• Scoliosis
• Facet joint syndrome
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Whether these occur in your neck, midback, or lumbar region, you’ll need a combination of treatments, including physical therapy. An ESI can help you get past the pain and do the work that will heal your condition. 
 

If chronic neck or back pain is keeping you from rehabilitating your injury and getting well, an ESI might be the answer. To find out, call Midwest Sports and Interventional Spine to make an appointment or request one online.