1. < Spine Health

Epidural Injections

Posted by bekie @bekie, May 25, 2016

I have seen many people post that they have had no success with epidural steroid injections. I was just wondering of those who have had little to no success:
1. Was your injection done by an anesthesiologist?
2. Was it done by guided fluoroscopy?
3. Was in done under some sort of sedation?

I have been going to pain management clinics for about 6 years now. I have has wonderful relief from these injections. They are a TEMPORARY relief to the PERMANENT problem of chronic pain. They are temporary though. They can last as little as a week or as long as a year. They are used to relieve an acute problem for a time period to get me through until my medication works better or allow my PT to help correct the problems. I was told even with guided fluoroscopy the injection can miss the perfect target but still give some relief. My doctor is well trained and has done several on me and I always get some sort of relief. I have even gone into his office and begged for them because they work so well. But like he told me they are part of my over all plan to attack my pain and work to get me through a crisis of pain until I can get back to exercise. They are not a miracle cure and there is no miracle cure presently for my chronic pain. I keep positive and through his plan and my cooperation, education, medication and willingness to follow his plan to the extent, I do feel better. If only for a temporary time, I take the temporary time.

I'm just wondering if those of us who have found success with them are getting a better injection, better treatment or if it is all by the grace of God a lucky shot.

What do you think? I'm curious to hear.
Thank you for this site to post and ask questions. It has helped me in just this one day of reading and posting.

❤️Bekie

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psii | @psii | Dec 20, 2022

I suffer from Lumbar Spinal stenosis--28 years now. I have had multiple epidurals, x-ray guided etc. done by pain management specialists, including the supposedly top "Hospital for Special Surgery". Zero benefit. I have also had botched laminectomy surgery that was supposed to be simple and effective, but instead left a lose bone fragment on my spinal cord that required a 2nd operation 30 days after the first one. I have gone to the best of the best but cannot find relief and the more people I speak to the the more puzzling this becomes because I constantly read about the professional athletes and Hollywood figures who receive the same treatments and are then able to resume an active normal life. I would settle just to lose the pain and be able to engage in light activities. I think the key is finding a doctor who will take the time to listen to the details and then coordinate with the other providers such as PT or pain management and pay attention to the patient.

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kpickowitz | @kpickowitz | Dec 20, 2022

I think this is generally true, I ve have multiple fusions and surgeries over 13 years and have onky found one pain management doctor that has been successful in managing my pain such that I can have a reasonable life. Nothing like the active life of sking, camping, etc that I used to have, but at least I dont sit at home. Both of my surgeons were "top of their class", served the local pro ball teams, etc...blah blah blah. They were interested in the high dollar surgeries, no other options. I've literally spent 2 straight years in PT and pain management to keep going, but they listen to me and I'm as good as I've been since before the fusion.

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docb99 | @docb99 | Feb 26, 2023
In reply to @jenniferhunter "@docb99 Spine issues do cause muscle spasms and when you do dry needling, the action of..." + (show)
@jenniferhunter

@docb99 Spine issues do cause muscle spasms and when you do dry needling, the action of inserting the needle releases the stored electric charge that is causing the spasm. Fascia also conducts electricity and sometimes releasing it releases some energy. My PT tells me that sometimes she feels zaps in her fingers when working on me.

A similar modality that does not involve needles is a Dolphin Neurostimulator in which a therapist sends a charge between 2 handheld devices. There is a setting to interrupt the neurotransmitters in the pain signals and when my PT did that (before spine surgery), I was able to get pain relief for about a week. She was holding the devices across the nerve roots in my neck.

I had one epidural injection done below C5/C6 as a diagnostic, and the anesthesiologist who did that told me never to allow a doctor to do an epidural above that level because it is too risky. With the nerves that control breathing and heart functions emerging from the spine, a poorly done injection could affect a vital body function. The base of the skull and C1 junction is delicate, and even tipping the head backward in a sink at a beauty salon can cause a stroke or clot to form.

Instability causes one vertebrae to slip past another and essentially, it narrows the spinal canal doing that. If there is already some stenosis in the canal, it can affect that even more. I'm glad you have a PT spine expert, and hopefully that helps or holds off surgery for awhile. It is worth asking for what a spine expert might predict would be the course of the spine disease without intervention, and when an optimal window would be to fix something if that is in your future. You don't want to rush into surgery, but sometimes people wait too long, and then have permanent nerve damage. I tracked my symptoms on a drawing on the body and dated the drawings so I knew how fast it was progressing. That helped me know when the time was right for spinal cord decompression surgery.

I hope you'll stay in touch and let me know how your PT is going.

Jump to this post

Hello
I had several PT sessions to release occipital nerve compression but they seem to make me feel worse after. The PT and I agreed to cease for a while. Movement helps so I walk daily and intermittently throughout the day.

I have been on Gabapentin 900 mg and it helps some but my neck can hurt at the slightest movement. 1200 mg is too much for me. I have had greater and less occipital nerve blocks that also help but I think an auricular nerve block is also needed b/c I have burning ear pain as well.

My physiatrist is somewhat helpful but my neurologist isn't. My husband and I google like crazy for some answers. I have begged for and will be having a soft tissue MRI next week. If it shows nothing, I will ask for MR neurography.

Mayo did not accept me but they are the only place where docs from different disciplines talk to each other about a patient. I'm at a university medical center but docs don't do that.

REPLY
1 reply
tyyne21wigwam | @tyyne21wigwam | Mar 1, 2023

I have had 30 epidurals from 3 neurologists. Th ey did not help. I have several problems still not helped with a fusion. I am unwilling to do a spinal cord stimulator. Which Dr. Wanted me to do

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meri91364 | @meri91364 | Mar 2, 2023

Be careful. Find out more info on epidurals. Mine caused me to get a disease called Adhesive Arachnoiditis. It’s very very painful and has left me with limited mobility. It was definitely caused by botched epidural. There is no treatment or cure for this.

REPLY
1 reply
stenosisisthemostest | @bsaunders73 | Mar 7, 2023
In reply to @meri91364 "Be careful. Find out more info on epidurals. Mine caused me to get a disease called..." + (show)
@meri91364

Be careful. Find out more info on epidurals. Mine caused me to get a disease called Adhesive Arachnoiditis. It’s very very painful and has left me with limited mobility. It was definitely caused by botched epidural. There is no treatment or cure for this.

Jump to this post

Okay, what happens with epidurals to cause this? Should I get a 4th epidural? My third wasn’t as good as the first two. (Shrug)

REPLY
1 reply
docb99 | @docb99 | Mar 7, 2023
In reply to @jenniferhunter "@docb99 Spine issues do cause muscle spasms and when you do dry needling, the action of..." + (show)
@jenniferhunter

@docb99 Spine issues do cause muscle spasms and when you do dry needling, the action of inserting the needle releases the stored electric charge that is causing the spasm. Fascia also conducts electricity and sometimes releasing it releases some energy. My PT tells me that sometimes she feels zaps in her fingers when working on me.

A similar modality that does not involve needles is a Dolphin Neurostimulator in which a therapist sends a charge between 2 handheld devices. There is a setting to interrupt the neurotransmitters in the pain signals and when my PT did that (before spine surgery), I was able to get pain relief for about a week. She was holding the devices across the nerve roots in my neck.

I had one epidural injection done below C5/C6 as a diagnostic, and the anesthesiologist who did that told me never to allow a doctor to do an epidural above that level because it is too risky. With the nerves that control breathing and heart functions emerging from the spine, a poorly done injection could affect a vital body function. The base of the skull and C1 junction is delicate, and even tipping the head backward in a sink at a beauty salon can cause a stroke or clot to form.

Instability causes one vertebrae to slip past another and essentially, it narrows the spinal canal doing that. If there is already some stenosis in the canal, it can affect that even more. I'm glad you have a PT spine expert, and hopefully that helps or holds off surgery for awhile. It is worth asking for what a spine expert might predict would be the course of the spine disease without intervention, and when an optimal window would be to fix something if that is in your future. You don't want to rush into surgery, but sometimes people wait too long, and then have permanent nerve damage. I tracked my symptoms on a drawing on the body and dated the drawings so I knew how fast it was progressing. That helped me know when the time was right for spinal cord decompression surgery.

I hope you'll stay in touch and let me know how your PT is going.

Jump to this post

Hello Jennifer
I have stopped PT for a while because I found that the occipital release the PT was doing was making me feel worse the next day. We discussed it and decided to take a break from the PT.
I believe that my pain is not related to spine issues but rather to possible nerve compression somewhere in the greater, lesser, or auricular nerve area. Burning ear pain suggests the auricular nerve.
My daughter had tarsal tunnel entrapment that was surgically addressed by Dr. Spinner at Mayo. I can't help but wonder if I have an entrapped nerve as well that is causing the neck pain.

REPLY
meri91364 | @meri91364 | Mar 7, 2023
In reply to @bsaunders73 "Okay, what happens with epidurals to cause this? Should I get a 4th epidural? My third..." + (show)
@bsaunders73

Okay, what happens with epidurals to cause this? Should I get a 4th epidural? My third wasn’t as good as the first two. (Shrug)

Jump to this post

It’s a needle going into your spine in my case lower spine. She (dr) put the needle into my dura and caused this. She was sloppy. Woke up with a blinding headache, knew there was a problem. This was supposedly done under ultrasound guidance. Educate yourself. Look up adhesive Arachnoiditis. It’s very painful. There is no cure. I also had depo medrol in the shot. That has been black boxed in the US since 2014. I’ve been trying to get help since this happened 18 months ago. It doesn’t exist.
There are some AA people on this site. Believe me you don’t want this. It ruined my life

REPLY
tyyne21wigwam | @tyyne21wigwam | Mar 11, 2023

I had over 30 epidurals in ten years by pain management drs. With good reps.done correctly. It did not help. I have 1 fusion,spondistheliosisscoliosis,stenosis,bulgiñg disks. Maybe it depends on each area and age. I take low dose Percocet meditation helps

REPLY
1 reply
tyyne21wigwam | @tyyne21wigwam | Mar 11, 2023
In reply to @tyyne21wigwam "I had over 30 epidurals in ten years by pain management drs. With good reps.done correctly...." + (show)
@tyyne21wigwam

I had over 30 epidurals in ten years by pain management drs. With good reps.done correctly. It did not help. I have 1 fusion,spondistheliosisscoliosis,stenosis,bulgiñg disks. Maybe it depends on each area and age. I take low dose Percocet meditation helps

Jump to this post

Sorry, couldn't fix spelling.

REPLY
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