Epidural Steroid Injection
Epidural Steroid injections or selective nerve root injections are done to treat neck and back problems, especially when associated with arm or leg pain. The arm or leg pain results from inflammation and irritation around a nerve root or the spinal cord. An epidural steroid injection or selective nerve root injection is a method of delivering a powerful anti-inflammatory medication directly to the area where the inflammation is occurring around the nerve root or spinal cord. This is the most affective way of stopping the inflammation and alleviating the pain.
Special Considerations
The following conditions could prevent you from having the injection:
Allergy to Novocain, cortisone or dye; bleeding disorders; or patients taking Coumadin. Patients with diabetes mellitus or glaucoma who are properly treated may safely undergo an injection.
Testing Procedures
Epidural Steroid Injections can be done several different ways, but the most important thing to know is that they are typically done as an out patient procedure in a hospital setting by a physician trained in performing this type of procedure. Normally, a local anesthetic is given prior to the injection.
After the Test / Procedure
Most people obtain excellent relief from their pain after the injection. However, since the epidural steroid, like other anti-inflammatory medication, deals with the swelling from the inflammatory process but does not deal directly with the cause of the inflammation, the effect may be temporary or permanent depending on the underlying problem. Like any invasive procedure, complications may occur: the most common of which is localized pain from the injection. Some patients develop muscle spasms, which are usually resolved after 2 or 3 days. Maximum pain relief may not occur for 7 to 10 days after the injection.
Emg
What is an "EMG"?
EMG stands for electromyography and is one part of an electrodiagnostic study. An electrodiagnostic study consists of the electromyography as well as nerve conduction studies (NCV's). An electrodiagnostic study determines how well your peripheral nervous system is working and helps determine if there is evidence of:
Nerve compression, e.g. from carpal tunnel syndrome.
Peripheral neuropathy, e.g. from diabetes mellitus
Nerve root compression, e.g. from lumbar disc herrniation.
Generalized muscle dysfunction
An Electrodiagnostic study is performed by applying skin electrodes and small needle like pins to the affected limb, stimulating the nerve and muscle with a small amount of electricity, and recording on a screen the measurements of the integrity of the nerve and response of the muscle tested to the electrical stimulus. Mild discomfort during the test may occur during insertion of the thin needle electrodes through the skin and during electrical stimulation of the nerve. The more you are able to relax during the procedure, the less discomfort you will experience.
MRI
An MRI or Magnetic Resonance Imaging scan is an advanced, modern technology that allows your physician to detect subtle differences between healthy and diseased tissues that cannot be visualized on a normal x-ray examination. Abnormalities such as disc herniation, nerve root impingement, cartilage and ligament tears, and rotator cuff tears, to name a few can be detected by this safe and non-invasive imaging modality. During an MRI procedure, your body is placed inside a large cylindrical electromagnet which subjects the hydrogen atoms of your body to a strong magnetic field, producing an image of the body structure being scanned. Magnetic Resonance Imaging has been used safely as a diagnostic imaging modality since the early 1980's which no known harmful effects.
Epidural Steroid injections or selective nerve root injections are done to treat neck and back problems, especially when associated with arm or leg pain. The arm or leg pain results from inflammation and irritation around a nerve root or the spinal cord. An epidural steroid injection or selective nerve root injection is a method of delivering a powerful anti-inflammatory medication directly to the area where the inflammation is occurring around the nerve root or spinal cord. This is the most affective way of stopping the inflammation and alleviating the pain.
Special Considerations
The following conditions could prevent you from having the injection:
Allergy to Novocain, cortisone or dye; bleeding disorders; or patients taking Coumadin. Patients with diabetes mellitus or glaucoma who are properly treated may safely undergo an injection.
Testing Procedures
Epidural Steroid Injections can be done several different ways, but the most important thing to know is that they are typically done as an out patient procedure in a hospital setting by a physician trained in performing this type of procedure. Normally, a local anesthetic is given prior to the injection.
After the Test / Procedure
Most people obtain excellent relief from their pain after the injection. However, since the epidural steroid, like other anti-inflammatory medication, deals with the swelling from the inflammatory process but does not deal directly with the cause of the inflammation, the effect may be temporary or permanent depending on the underlying problem. Like any invasive procedure, complications may occur: the most common of which is localized pain from the injection. Some patients develop muscle spasms, which are usually resolved after 2 or 3 days. Maximum pain relief may not occur for 7 to 10 days after the injection.
Emg
What is an "EMG"?
EMG stands for electromyography and is one part of an electrodiagnostic study. An electrodiagnostic study consists of the electromyography as well as nerve conduction studies (NCV's). An electrodiagnostic study determines how well your peripheral nervous system is working and helps determine if there is evidence of:
Nerve compression, e.g. from carpal tunnel syndrome.
Peripheral neuropathy, e.g. from diabetes mellitus
Nerve root compression, e.g. from lumbar disc herrniation.
Generalized muscle dysfunction
An Electrodiagnostic study is performed by applying skin electrodes and small needle like pins to the affected limb, stimulating the nerve and muscle with a small amount of electricity, and recording on a screen the measurements of the integrity of the nerve and response of the muscle tested to the electrical stimulus. Mild discomfort during the test may occur during insertion of the thin needle electrodes through the skin and during electrical stimulation of the nerve. The more you are able to relax during the procedure, the less discomfort you will experience.
MRI
An MRI or Magnetic Resonance Imaging scan is an advanced, modern technology that allows your physician to detect subtle differences between healthy and diseased tissues that cannot be visualized on a normal x-ray examination. Abnormalities such as disc herniation, nerve root impingement, cartilage and ligament tears, and rotator cuff tears, to name a few can be detected by this safe and non-invasive imaging modality. During an MRI procedure, your body is placed inside a large cylindrical electromagnet which subjects the hydrogen atoms of your body to a strong magnetic field, producing an image of the body structure being scanned. Magnetic Resonance Imaging has been used safely as a diagnostic imaging modality since the early 1980's which no known harmful effects.
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