For patients with lower back pain, Epidural Steroid Injections are a common treatment option. This procedure involves the injection of a steroid into the epidural space, thereby reducing inflammation and swelling in the nerves. Monmouth Pain & Rehabilitation offers Epidural Steroid Injections for patients who are suffering from the symptoms of nerve inflammation or irritation in the lower back (lumbar spine), including not only pain but also numbness, tingling, leg pain, and muscle weakness.
As part of conservative plans of rehabilitation, Epidural Steroid Injections help to accomplish several important objectives. The first of these is to provide crucial relief to patients suffering from severe lower back pain. Such injections are also helpful to patients who wish to avoid unnecessary and traumatic lower back surgery as well as the potentially damaging use of painkilling medications. Finally, Epidural Steroid Injections often provide enough relief that patients may begin to participate in programs of physical therapy and chiropractic in order to directly address the cause of pain and prevent future injury and suffering.
Epidural Steroid Injections are provided in our Shrewsbury, Wall, and Lacey offices and are performed by pain management specialists. Our medical staff consists only of the very best in the field of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R). In order to perform the most accurate and effective Epidural Steroid Injections possible, our office has incorporated Fluoroscopy, an imaging technique that affords our physicians the ability to view images of the body in real time and when in motion.
There are a number of common conditions that can cause lower back pain and may require the use of Epidural Steroid Injections. These include:
• Disc Injuries: A disc herniation or bulge in the lower back can cause serious pain and the symptoms associated with sciatica(lower back pain, leg pain, muscle weakness, numbness, etc.). This occurs when the inner part of a spinal disc pushes through the disc’s outer ring and puts pressure on spinal nerves. While physical therapy and chiropractic are often excellent treatment options for a disc issues, many patients experience pain that restricts the ability to take advantage of such options. Epidural Steroid Injections provide a way for patients to begin the rehabilitation process.
• Degenerative Disc Disease: The normal aging process is hard on spinal discs; normal wear and tear can cause the outer ring of the disc to become torn or cracked, which may lead to a disc bulge or herniation. The disc itself begins to lose fluid, thereby compromising its ability to provide flexibility and shock absorption for the spine.
• Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: Usually associated with aging, this condition involves the narrowing of the spinal canal in the lower back. When the spinal canal narrows, the nerves that branch out from the spinal cord become compressed and irritated. The spinal cord is also vulnerable to irritation from the narrowing of the spinal canal. Spinal stenosis is often associated with osteoarthritis.
