Cervical Epidural Injection

Neck and back problems have become one of the most common medical conditions in our society today. Approximately 80 percent of adults will experience neck and back pain at some point in their lives. Neck and arm pain may slowly develop or be a result of trauma such as a car accident, a strain at work or a sport injury. Often, pain results in lost work productivity, loss of ones active lifestyle, and it can ultimately lead to chronic pain and disability.

Epidural injections are a very common treatment for neck, back and extremity pain.

The Epidural space is an area of the spine where the nerves from the spinal cord pass through on the way to their place in the body (ex, shoulder, arm hand, etc.) If you have Disc Disease, Spinal Stenosis, Epidural Fibrosis, Post-Laminectomy Syndrome or other specific diagnosis of problems in the Epidural space of the neck, then you may have Epidural inflammation and pain.

Epidural injections with local anesthetics and light steroid medications can reduce inflammation, restore normal size of Epidural nerves and wash out the build up of (locally toxic) chemicals (ex. from damaged discs), thus eliminating or reducing the pain.

Sometimes just breaking the cycle of the pain will reset those painful nerves to a more normal function, allowing you more freedom from discomfort and will allow you to better perform your activities of daily living. The injection is minimally uncomfortable and is very well tolerated by almost all patients. Doctor will be very careful and will numb the area of injection for your comfort. IV Sedation is available. Complications are extremely rare but can occur, you may wish to discuss this with your doctor in more detail.

You may do well with 1-2 injections, but some patients will require a series of injections and if successful may need an occasional booster injection, depending on the diagnosis and pain level.