How long do spinal injections last

Please turn on JavaScript and try again. More Alberta Content. Important Phone Numbers. Topic Contents What is a lumbar epidural steroid injection?

How is a lumbar epidural steroid injection done? How long does an epidural steroid injection take? What can you expect after a lumbar epidural steroid injection? Where can you learn more? Top of the page. What is a lumbar epidural steroid injection? Current as of: November 16, Home About MyHealth. Include Images Large Print. Epidural steroid injections are recommended to be administered up to three to six times per year. In the case of a new disc herniation, injections may be only weeks apart with a goal of quick and complete resolution of symptoms.

For chronic conditions, three to six months or more between injections is common. Epidural steroid injections can help resolve pain permanently in patients with a new disc herniation who respond favorably.

For patients with chronic pain or recurrent disc herniations, the desired duration of effect is three to six months or more.

The risks in any procedure involving a needle include bleeding, infection and nerve damage. When performed properly, the risk of any of these is exceedingly low and usually outweighed by the potential benefit of the procedure. Some contraindications for performing epidural steroid injections include:. Common side effects include mild injection site pain, temporary worsening of usual pain, flushing, insomnia, or increased blood sugar.

These are usually self-limited and resolve within one to three days. A less common side effect is headache. Your doctor will give you specific instructions and these will vary by facility and type of epidural lumbar, thoracic or cervical.

Because the procedure is usually performed with local anesthetic, fasting guidelines are not overly prohibitive. A local anesthetic is injected into the skin, numbing the area where the epidural needle is then placed. An epidural steroid injection delivers steroids directly into the epidural space in the spine. The drugs used include a steroid as an anti-inflammatory agent. As inflammation is associated with these low back conditions, reducing inflammation tends to help with the pain.

Typically used steroids include Triamcinolone acetonide, Dexamethasone, and Methylprednisolone acetate. For local anesthesia, Lidocaine Xylocaine is preferred as a fast-acting local anesthetic for temporary pain relief. Bupivacaine may be used a longer lasting alternative. The skin on the back is cleaned with antiseptic solution and then the procedure is done. Immediately after the injection, you may feel your legs becoming slightly heavy or numb. You may notice that your pain may be gone or considerably less.

This is due to the effect of the local anesthetic and lasts only for a few hours. Your pain may return and you may have some soreness at the injection site for a day or so. You should start noticing pain relief starting about days after the procedure. We advise the patients to take it easy for a day or so after the procedure. Perform the activities as tolerated by you. Your recovery room nurse will advise you about applying ice to the site. You should be able to unless the procedure was complicated.

Your doctor or recovery room nurse will discuss this with you. The long-term effect of the medication cannot be predicted. Usually, the immediate effect is from the local anesthetic injected. This wears off in a few hours. The steroid starts working in about days and its effect can last for several days to a reasonably long time.