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Lumbar steroid epidural injection

An epidural injection delivers steroids into the epidural space around spinal nerve roots to relieve pain - back pain, leg pain, or other pain—caused by irritated spinal nerves. The steroid used in the epidural steroid injection reduces the inflammation of those nerves, which is often the source of the pain.

The word lumbar means that it is in the lower back, so it is about vertebral column in the lower back, the word epidural means that the injection is administered in the epidural space, the space between the bone of the vertebra and the dura mater, the thick and hard membrane which wraps around the spinal cord.

The procedure is very effective in reducing pain in about 50 % of cases, you will probably feel nothing more than a sting and then the pain will reduce its intensity – in other words there’s nothing to be afraid of, it’s not as bad as it sounds.

Nerve irritation in the lumbar spine

  • Low back pain and stiffness
  • Groin pain
  • Hip pain (arising from the back, not hip)
  • Buttock pain
  • Leg pain, or numbness, tingling
  • Sciatica



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