Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injection

Is a Steroid Injection Right for You?

Back PainEpidural steroid injections for back pain are a viable interventional option when you are looking for relief from severe, debilitating pain. Florida Surgery Consultants in Tampa are experts in lower back pain and we can help you determine if you would benefit from an epidural steroid injection. There may be certain factors that affect whether or not you can truly see a difference in your back pain after receiving the injections. Schedule an appointment with a doctor to speak about what your options may be.

Contact us at Florida Surgery Consultants to learn more about our services.

What is an Epidural Steroid Injection

Lumbar Epidural InjectionAn epidural steroid injection is a cortisone injection used to treat inflammation around the spine. Epidural injections have also been used for both pre-surgical planning and post-surgical treatment. In these situations, your doctor may recommend having specific levels of the steroid injected in particular places in the spine before the surgery begins in order to confirm the location of the problem.

Out of the possible injections, the most commonly administered is the epidural steroid injection. With the epidural injection, the steroid is injected directly around the dura which is a sac around the nerve roots that contains cerebrospinal fluid. The cerebrospinal fluid is the fluid that the nerve roots are bathed in. Before the injection, an anesthetic is applied to the skin using a small needle to numb the area in the lower back.

Epidural Steroid Injections for Back Pain

Lumbar Epidural InjectionWhen the epidural steroid injections are placed around the dura sac, this can decrease inflammation associated with common conditions such as spinal stenosis, disc herniation, or degenerative disc disease in a very marked way. The flushing effect from the injection is also thought to remove the inflammatory proteins from around the structures that may cause pain.

For about half of patients, epidural steroid injections are successful in relieving lower back pain. The effects of the injection are temporary in nature—they only last from one week to one year, depending on the patient—but they can be very beneficial in providing relief for those patients who have episodes of severe back pain and gives patients the opportunity to progress in their rehabilitation.

If you are interested in having epidural steroid injections for back pain, Florida Surgery Consultants is here for you. We understand how difficult back pain can be and we have the tools to make it easier for you. Simply schedule an appointment with us to speak to a doctor about your pain and see if you would be eligible for epidural steroid injections. Contact us today to learn more.

Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injections Success Rate

Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injections (LESIs) are a commonly employed therapeutic modality in the management of radicular pain and other pain syndromes originating from the lumbar spine. The primary aim of the LESI is the delivery of corticosteroids into the epidural space to ameliorate inflammation and thus reduce pain.

1. Indications:
Common indications for LESI include lumbar radiculopathy secondary to disc herniation, lumbar spinal stenosis, and post-laminectomy syndrome, among others.

2. Mechanism of Action:
The therapeutic efficacy of LESI is attributed to the anti-inflammatory effects of corticosteroids, which can reduce nerve root inflammation and edema, thereby alleviating pain.

3. Success Rates:
The success rates of LESIs, as gauged by significant pain reduction and functional improvement, can be variable and are contingent upon the specific etiology of the pain:

  • Lumbar Disc Herniation: In patients with acute radicular pain secondary to lumbar disc herniation, LESIs have demonstrated a 50% or greater pain reduction in approximately 50% to 80% of patients in the short term (up to 3 months). However, the long-term benefits beyond 1 year remain controversial and may be less pronounced.

  • Spinal Stenosis: For lumbar spinal stenosis, LESIs may provide temporary relief in 50% to 60% of patients, with variable durations of benefit.

  • Post-laminectomy Syndrome: LESIs have been shown to provide temporary relief in up to 50% of patients with post-laminectomy syndrome, although repeat injections may be necessary.

4. Variables Influencing Outcome:
Several factors can impact the efficacy of LESIs, including the duration of symptoms before injection, the specific technique employed (interlaminar, transforaminal, or caudal), and the type and volume of corticosteroid utilized.

Contact Us

Florida Surgery Consultants is an experienced clinic located in Gainesville with additional locations in Bradenton, Tampa, Lakeland and Ocala. If you are struggling with lower back pain, do not subject yourself to simply dealing with it. Contact the professionals at Florida Surgery Consultants today. We know what it takes to make a real difference with back pain.

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What Types of Non-Surgical Procedures Do Our Spine Specialists Perform?

What Surgical Procedures do our Board Certified Spine Surgeons Perform?

Removes a herniated disc in the neck to relieve neck pain

Titanium implant to keep spine stabilized after a decompression surgery (removal of a disc herniation)

Device that gets implanted to replicate the function of a normal disc which replaces a damaged disc.

Removal of the lamina to relieve compression on the spinal cord.

Inject bone cement into the vertebrae to fix a compression fracture.

Surgeon goes in through the waist to relieve nerves that are pinched by removing damaged disc material.

Stabilizes the spinal vertebrae by going in through the back of the patient by creating a fusion with two or more vertebrae.

Removal of a herniated disc or parts of the disc to relieve spinal cord pressure

Removes damaged disc material and fuses the vertebrae together

Removal of a disc herniation using a needle

Reduces a disc herniation with laser technology

Fuses Sacrum and Ilium to create one immobile joint which helps with back pain

Our Neurosurgical Spine Surgery Team

Currently on staff, we have three Neurosurgeons that specialize in spine surgery. Our Spine Surgeons see patients in all five of our office locations in Florida. To find out more on why patients should choose a neurosurgeon for spine surgery rather than an orthopedic spine surgeon click here. If you want to see their credentials click their profiles. 

Neurosurgeons close to me

Dr. Jonathan Hall, MD

Board Certified Neurosurgeon - Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery

Florida Surgery Consultants New Neurosurgeon Dr. Donna Saatman

Dr. Donna Saatman, MD

Board Certified Neurosurgeon - Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery

What type of conditions do our Board Certified Spine Surgeons Treat?

A tear in the ligament that connects your vertebrae to your disc

Loss of disc cushioning due to the aging process

The jelly like substance in between your vertebrae pushes through the annulus and touches the spinal cord.

A tear in the ligament that connects your vertebrae to your disc

Loss of disc cushioning due to the aging process

The jelly like substance in between your vertebrae pushes through the annulus and touches the spinal cord.

The narrowing of the spinal canal, can pinch your spinal cord and the nerves around it

Inflammation of the facet joints in the spine

 Degeneration or Inflammation of the Facet Joints

A disc that has lost most of its height which can cause disc pain

often called osteophytes, they are bony growths that can form where the bones meet one another.

Normal wear and tear due to the aging process, can also be called Degenerative Disc Disease