Cervical Epidural Steroid Injection

What is this procedure?

This injection relieves pain in the neck, shoulders, and arms caused by a pinched nerve (or nerves) in the cervical spine.

Conditions such as herniated discs, spinal cord stenosis, can compress thenerveroots, causing inflammation(swelling of the nerve root) and pain.

The medication injected just near to the nerve root helps to decrease the swelling of nerves.

The procedure is performed with the patient lying on her chest. Intravenous sedation may be administered if required, (most of our patient do not require)and a region of skin on the back of neck cleaned and tissue of the neck is numbed with a local anesthetic delivered through a thin needle.

Using x-ray guidance (also called fluoroscopy), the physician guides a larger needle to the painful area of the neck. The needle is inserted into the epidural space, which is the region through which spinal nerves travel.

Contrast dye is injected into the space to make sure the needle is properly positioned near the irritated nerve or nerves.

A combination of an anesthetic and cortisone steroid solution is injected into the epidural space. The steroid is an anti-inflammatory medication that is absorbed by the inflamed nerves to decrease swelling and relieve pressure.

End of Procedure

The needle is removed and a small bandage is applied. The patient goes to a recovery room& discharged with post treatment instructions. Some patients may need only one injection, but it may take two or three injections (administered two weeks apart) to provide significant pain relief.