What is an epidural injection?

An epidural injection is a common type of injection with which medication is injected into the space around the spinal cord, also known as the epidural space.  The epidural injection is used to provide temporary or prolonged relief from pain or inflammation.

The epidural space is the outermost part of the spinal canal, located outside the dural membrane. Steroids, anaesthetics and anti-inflammatory medications are typically delivered in an epidural injection. The injection may reduce pain and swelling in and around the spinal nerve roots, as well as around damaged nerves which in time may heal. The canal runs the entire length of your spine and therefore injections into this space can treat multiple levels.

At Endovascular WA, Dr Sanjay Nadkarni uses the assistance of a fluoroscopic image guidance for precision when performing these injections.

Patient Preparation

  • Patients will be seen for a consultation prior to their initial injection.
  • Patients may be asked to fast before their appointment. Your doctor will advise you at your initial consultation.
  • Patients are to advise us if they are taking any medications that thin the blood. For example warfarin or aspirin.
  • Patients are required to bring all previous imaging at the time of consultation and injection procedures.

Procedure

The epidural injection itself takes about 20 minutes. The skin around the joint is cleaned with antiseptic solution. A fine needle is injected under image guidance. The epidural space is injected with a mix of local anaesthetic and steroid. You may feel pressure or tingling.

Patient After Care

Immediately after the injection, you may feel your legs slightly heavy and may be numb. You may notice that your pain may be gone or quite less, due to the local anaesthetic injected and the sensation will last only for a few hours. Your pain will return and you may have a “sore back” for a day or two due to the mechanical process of needle insertion as well as initial irritation form the steroid itself.

  • The onset of pain relief varies between 2 – 14 days following the injection.
  • You will need to lay FLAT on for the rest of the day.
  • You need to avoid any heavy lifting or strenuous activity for the next week.

We are here to help

Endovascular WA has a team of professional physicians that are skilled at providing effective pain management for conditions relating to nerve inflammation and compression injuries. We provide a number of pain relief procedures using CT, fluoroscopy and ultrasound guided injections.

  • Irritated or compression of spinal nerves (cervical and lumbar nerve root sleeve)
  • Lumbar sympathetic plexus block/chemical sympathectomy
  • Brachial and lumbar plexus blocks
  • Median nerve blocks (Carpal tunnel syndrome)
  • Lateral femoral cutaneous nerve block for meralgia paraesthetica
  • Nerve entrapment syndromes
  • Occipital neuralgia (greater occipital nerve block)
  • Herniated Disks
Even though the injection may not result in bringing about permanent pain relief, significant pain relief may be achieved for a prolonged period of time, potentially if there is a delay in surgery.

If you have any further questions regarding Image Guided Epidural Injections, please do not hesitate to contact our Subiaco rooms on (08) 9284 2900.