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Epidural Injections
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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Steroids have been around for a very long time and do wonders for acute pain and many other illnesses. Many people take steroids on a regular bases for select disease processes related to inflammation. As others have stated it does destroy bone so it’s limited in epidural and other areas. Unfortunately it does destroy organs, blood vessels and other damage with long term use. But it is an effective drug with wide use, just be cautious.
My experience is that oral steroids were not recommended for neck pain, at least for a 74 year old female with what went from acute to chronic neck pain but no evident disk herniation. The protocols were facet joint injections and medial branch blocks with perhaps a physician bias toward one or the other.
I've been reading spine pain posts on Connect for months and there is such a wide range of pain situations and physician protocols. The same meds keep coming up, but patients' responses to them are SO different. It seems like a lot of meds get recommended and used. Use of meds is a personal patient/doc decision but for me no med ever worked well enough to continue.
All I know at this particular point in my year long quest for neck and head pain relief is that the only thing that has actually diminished (but not totally relieved) my neck and head pain is a course of Dexamethasone. No injection or prescribed med has done the same for me.
I find that outcome both puzzling and curious and I will continue to seek more information as to why. I'll welcome anyone else's thoughts on this.
There are so many different factors as to whether something works or not. First, there’s the patient. Everybody is different. Secondly, is the physician. Not all are created the same. Not all have the same technique. Not all have the same knowledge. Thirdly, there is the medication’s that everybody does not respond to. This is why we can all have very Different experiences. To me the body is an enigma at times. I like others get temporary relief, but I am grateful for that. I do the best that I can with the pain otherwise. I try to eat right most of the time. I am sure that taking 65 pounds off, would surely help but very difficult to do when you are in pain and having trouble getting around. I need to get myself back in the pool because that’s the best place for me. All I can say is do your best. That’s all any of us can do. Best wishes and prayers to all of you.
One of the first things I had done after my ski fall hard on my lower back in 2016 was to have a series of epidurals. The first shots gave me about two weeks of relief. The second series gave me about 2 days of relief. The last series was done under CT scan, No help. I could go on for several pages outlining all the things that I have had done, but I will spare you the details. Epidurals work great for some, not great for others.
Wish you better success in the future.
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