How Long Does an Epidural Steroid Injection Last

Epidural steroid injections, or ESIs, are a valuable tool in a healthcare provider's arsenal against chronic neck and back pain. The injections are given in an outpatient procedure and are for short-term pain relief.

If you have chosen an ESI to help manage chronic pain, it is important to know how long an ESI will last.

At Advanced Spine and Pain, our specialists are available to answer any questions about epidural steroid injections and other pain management options. To learn more, call us at (480) 573-0130 or contact us online.

What is an Epidural Steroid Injection?

Epidural steroid injections are non-invasive treatment options available for chronic neck or back pain relief. Your healthcare provider may have recommended injections if you have a history of spinal nerve root inflammation from conditions like a herniated disc, which can lead to irritation and severe pain.

How is An Epidural Steroid Injection Done?

An epidural shot is performed by a trained healthcare provider, such as a pain specialist. To reduce symptoms like burning or radiating pain, a local anesthetic and anti-inflammatory steroid medication are injected into the epidural space around the spinal cord to reduce inflammation and swelling.

The location of the injection depends on which nerve roots are irritated. The injection can be a lumbar epidural steroid injection (lower back), cervical epidural steroid injection (neck), or thoracic epidural steroid injection (upper back).

How Long Does an Epidural Steroid Injection Last?

Once an epidural steroid injection is given, it can take a few days for pain relief to start. Sometimes, the back pain or neck pain can worsen temporarily. After two to seven days, the steroid medication should reduce inflammation enough that you notice decreased pain.

Although ESIs are not a long-term pain relief solution, they can help postpone the need for more invasive procedures like surgery. Several factors determine how long the epidural lasts, including the location of the spinal nerves causing chronic pain and the specific type of epidural injection given.

Pain relief typically lasts weeks to months1. However, there have been cases where relief lasted as long as a year or more2. Taking the injection more than once can also lead to longer-lasting pain relief. Your healthcare professional will advise you on how frequent your procedure should be and help craft a pain management plan going forward.

What Are Some Risks of Epidural Steroid Injections?

Knowing that epidural steroid injections can offer temporary pain relief can be reassuring. However, like all medical procedures, there are some risks. Common risks include:

• Temporary increase in blood sugar for diabetics
• Bruising and mild discomfort at the injection site
• Elevated blood pressure
• Eye pressure if you have a history of glaucoma
• Low blood pressure
• Bleeding
• Infection
• Severe headache
• Nerve injury
• Temporary loss of bowel control and/or bladder control
• An allergic reaction to the medication used in the injection

Many of these, like nerve injury and infection, are rare with ESI. Additionally, providers limit people from receiving epidural steroid injections too frequently (usually two to four per year) due to the possibility of the steroid medication weakening bones.

Your healthcare provider will give you specific instructions on when you can resume normal activities after an epidural injection and how long you should rest after the epidural procedure.

Ready to Schedule an Epidural Steroid Injection?

Epidural steroid injections are a generally low-risk procedure that can help offer pain relief for problems like sciatica and spinal stenosis. At Advanced Spine and Pain, our specialists can help guide you through the decision-making process when choosing an option like epidural steroid injections for chronic pain and design a treatment plan for optimal pain management. Contact us online today for expert advice from our team or call us at (480) 573-0130.

References

1. Su, N., Meng, H., Fei, Q., Wang, B., Yang, Y., Li, D., & Li, J. (2015). Epidural injections with or without steroids in managing chronic low back pain secondary to lumbar spinal stenosis: a meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials. Drug Design, Development and Therapy, 4657. https://doi.org/10.2147/dddt.s85524
2. Manchikanti, Laxmaiah, et al. “A Randomized, Double-Blind Controlled Trial of Lumbar Interlaminar Epidural Injections in Central Spinal Stenosis: 2-Year Follow-Up.” Pain Physician, vol. 18, no. 1, 1 Jan. 2015, pp. 79–92, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25675062/.