“Pain in the neck” is a common phrase for an irritation or an annoying problem. Actual neck pain, however, can be much more serious. Today, we’ll look at how epidural steroid injections can be an effective neck pain treatment, even for patients who suffer from chronic pain.
Neck Pain: What You Need to Know
Neck Pain
The dura membrane covers your spine and its associated nerve roots. The space surrounding this membrane is known as the epidural space.
Nerves travel from this area to various parts of your body, including your neck, arms, and shoulders. Neck pain is commonly caused by inflammation occurring in these nerve roots, especially when coupled with a damaged disc.
How Cervical Epidural Steroid Injections Can Help
Epidural injections are comprised of anti-inflammatory medicine; injections decrease the inflammation occurring in the nerve roots in your spine and neck. This makes an epidural steroid injection one of the most common neck pain treatment options recommended by Florida Surgery Consultants.
In some instances, a single injection can provide a permanent pain solution, but more intense inflammation may require a series of epidural injections.
What Can You Expect From our Neck Pain Treatment?
Cervical Epidural Steroid
After some form of anesthetic is given, doctors scrub a patient’s neck to sterilize it and numb it. Then, the physician will direct a tiny needle into the epidural space, using an x-ray to ensure perfect placement.
The epidural steroid injection is then given, often alongside a small amount of additional anesthetic to reduce pain.
Recovery: What to Expect After the Procedure
Your doctor’s recommendations may vary from the ones we’ve listed below, but the following are good “rules of thumb” for patients recovering from a steroid epidural injection:
- A follow-up appointment should be made to assess effectiveness, and/or the need for further injections
- Patients should not take any more pain medication the day of the injection
- Hands and arms may feel numb or weak for several hours after the injection
Other medical conditions, such as Diabetes, can affect these recommendations. If you are dependent on insulin, be sure to communicate this to your physician to ensure that you follow the right recovery program.
Finding the Right Epidural Injection for You
Fighting pain means fighting inflammation, and a steroid injection into your epidural space is one of the most effective ways we currently know of to treat and even prevent future pain.
If you’re interested to find out if an epidural steroid injection might be the right neck pain treatment option for you, you owe it to yourself to get in touch with Florida Surgery Consultants.
We’ll help you find the right facility to treat your persistent neck pain once and for all, so you can go back to living a happier, healthier, pain-free life.
- There are a few things to be aware of before getting your injection. It is recommended that you stop taking inflammatory medication such as Tylenol, Aleve, or Aspirin 7 days before your injection.
- If you are a diabetic, the injection will temporarily increase your blood sugar.
- It is also recommended that you do not eat 4 hours prior to the procedure
How long does an Epidural Steroid Injection Take?
The injection only takes 5 – 10 minutes
How long does the injection take to work?
The injection can work in 2 to 5 days. The nurses at Florida Surgery will call you to check on the relief usually after 5 days
How long does the pain relief last?
Patients usually get 6 months of relief or more. If the injection does not provide relief after two weeks then another injection may be done.
How many injections can I have?
It is not recommended to have more than 3 injections within a 6 month period. Therefore the doctor may only recommend a set of 3 every six months.
