I’m not a doctor, but I’ve had epidurals before without any issues. I’ve also had two Lumbar Spine Laminectomies and Fusions covering L2-S1. My neurosurgeon already knew what nerves were being impinged, though, before I had my epidurals. He relied on imaging, physical exams and my symptoms to identify the areas of impingement. The epidural was administered to cover only these areas. He was right every time. Bottom-line is that, personally, I’d seek a second opinion with a highly-rated neurosurgeon, that operates on the Spine, before I allowed a doctor to use an epidural to determine what vertebrae were impinging my nerves. That being said, the biggest risks of epidurals to my knowledge are infections (e.g. meningitis) and blood clots, though the likelihood of experiencing these types of issues is quit small.

Good luck with whatever path you take! I know just how tough nerve impingements can be and the extent to which they can wreak havoc on your physical functioning!