Neck, shoulder, and back pain are nothing new. In fact, the National Institutes of Health estimates that one in three people will experience neck pain at least once a year. In most cases, this pain will subside without medical intervention. However, there are some situations that will call for treatment.
Unfortunately, neck and back pain treatments can take time before delivering the relief you desire. There’s some good news, though. Opting for a cervical epidural steroid injection can help manage your pain as you recover.
Are you in need of reliable pain management solutions? Read on to learn how getting cervical epidural steroid injections from spine specialists in NY can help.
The word injection might put some people off, but there’s no need to worry. The procedure is quite straightforward and only takes a few minutes.
After an initial assessment, your doctor will ask you to lie face down on the examining table. They will then clean the injection site and use a local anesthetic to numb the area.
Your doctor will then use an x-ray machine to guide the needle and inject contrast dye and a cortisone steroid solution to reduce inflammation and decrease your pain.
It usually takes three to five days for a patient to feel the full effects of the cortisone steroid solution and enjoy pain relief.
Since the local aesthetic will remain active for several hours, most patients feel comfortable after the procedure. However, it is common to experience mild soreness at the injection site.
Are you suffering from chronic pain in your shoulders, neck, and upper extremities? A cervical epidural steroid injection can help you manage your pain.
Here are some of the conditions that this pain management solution can benefit.
When your tendons, muscles, cartilage, or bones shift out of position, they can exert pressure on a nearby nerve. This pressure, in turn, can lead to numbness, weakness, tingling sensations, and excruciating pain. Fortunately, epidural injections can help.
Your vertebrae have discs that act as cushions. If one of these discs gets damaged or compressed, it reduces the amount of cushioning between the bones, causing a lot of pain.
Light exercise, hot and cold packs, and over-the-counter pain medication can help you treat a herniated disc. However, if these options fail, you can turn to epidural steroid injections.
Are you suffering from back pain? Have you noticed a loss of height or a recently developed stooped-over posture? Then you might have a compression fracture. They occur when your spine’s vertebral block collapses or gets compressed. This could be a result of traumatic accidents or a weakening vertebra.
Compression fractures are quite common, especially in patients with osteoporosis. Estimates by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons suggest that as many as 750,000 people experience these fractures every year.
From sprains and strains to whiplash, a lot of things can cause neck injuries. If your injury is mild, you can get by with a bit of rest and pain medication. However, if it is severe, you will need medical attention.
No matter how minor or severe your pain is, cervical epidural steroid injections can help you manage it.
Are there any advantages to getting a cervical epidural steroid injection? The short answer is yes. Here are a few key benefits you stand to enjoy when you opt for this treatment.
As far as pain management goes, you have plenty of options to consider. However, not all these options deliver the level of relief you seek.
For instance, oral painkillers have to go through your digestive system. This not only lowers their efficiency but also creates potential side effects. This is where cervical epidural steroid injections have the upper hand.
Since your doctor injects the medicine directly into your irritated nerves, pain relief is more effective and almost immediate.
The effects of epidural injections last much longer. How long your pain relief will last will depend on your condition. However, for most cases, pain relief will last for six months or longer. For some, the injection can last for several years.
The best part is that epidural steroid injections don’t only offer pain relief. They can help you address inflammation as well.
The injection contains lidocaine and a saline solution that flush out inflammatory chemicals and proteins. By doing so, they help inhibit your body’s inflammation response.
Chronic neck, back, and shoulder pain is, sadly, quite common. According to the World Health Organization, in 2020, low back pain affected 619 million people globally.
In the United States, back pain is the main cause of health-related economic drain, costing the country an estimated $250 billion annually, according to the National Spine Health Foundation. Clearly, access to quick and lasting pain relief is a priority for everyone.
Are you currently dealing with chronic pain? We can help you attain the lasting relief you desire.
Contact New York Spine Specialist at 516-355-0111 to schedule your cervical epidural steroid injection appointment. We are always available to answer any questions you might have, including, “How long should you rest after an epidural?” What’s more, our doctors accept most insurance plans, including workers’ compensation, no-fault, and PIP (personal injury protection). Same-day appointments may be available.
You can get a maximum of three injections in a six-month period. If necessary, you can get a second injection two weeks after the first one.
Depending on your lifestyle and the severity of your condition, your injection will last you anywhere between six and 12 months.
While rare, potential side effects for these injections include:
Cervical transforaminal epidural steroid injections are short outpatient procedures that can be administered in our office or at a surgery center. You will wear a gown for the procedure. Before you receive the epidural injection, the back of your neck will be sterilized and numbed with an anesthetic. Your doctor will use a live X-ray image (fluoroscopy) to carefully insert and guide the needle to the foramen “tunnel” of the affected nerve. A contrast dye is used to confirm the needle placement. Next, the medication solution is delivered, and the needle is removed.
You will be monitored for several minutes before you can return home. Your doctor will instruct you on how to relieve temporary, mild pain at the injection site. It is possible to experience relief with just one injection; however, repeated injections may be necessary.
