Want Long-Lasting Relief from Disc-Related Pain? 5 Benefits of Epidural Steroid Injections

Damaged, slipped, herniated, or bulged, a disc in your spine can cause severe or widespread pain by pressing on the nerves closest to it. Herniated discs and degenerative disc disease are common causes of back pain, and over 3 million people in the United States get herniated discs every year.

To treat disc problems, board-certified physiatrists Stephanie Clop, MD, and Alexander Behnaz, MD, often recommend epidural steroid injections. With X-ray guidance, these injections safely deliver a steroid near the compressed nerve to reduce pain and inflammation from herniated discs or degenerative disc disease.

Are you curious about epidural steroid injections for your disc problems? Here are five benefits of epidural steroid injections to know:

They can treat pain wherever it appears

Herniated discs don’t always cause back or neck pain. Some disc problems don’t cause pain at all. But others can cause what’s called referred pain, or pain in another part of your body.

This is because inflammation or a bulging disc can place pressure on the root of a nerve that travels to other parts of the body, such as your arms or legs. A herniated disc in your lower back, for example, might cause sciatica in one of your legs.

When you get an epidural steroid injection to alleviate the inflammation causing your pain, it can treat your herniated disc symptoms wherever they appear.

1. They can reduce pain for months

It’s impossible to predict how each individual will respond to epidural steroid injections. Generally, epidural steroid injections can ease pain from disc problems for at least a few months. For some people, the relief is permanent.

If you experience recurrent herniated discs or chronic pain from a herniated disc, epidural steroid injections at Integrated Spine and Pain Services can reduce the pain for 3-6 months.

Dr. Clop and Dr. Behnaz might recommend visiting the office every few weeks or every few months for epidural steroid injections to give you the best possible outcome from treatment.

2. Minimally invasive treatment

Epidural steroid injections are a minimally invasive treatment, meaning they don’t involve surgical incisions. Treat disc-related pain with epidural steroid injections, which might allow you to avoid riskier and more invasive treatments like surgery for your disc problems.

3. An improved quality of life

Disc-related pain can be burdensome in your everyday life. It can restrict you from enjoying summertime activities with your family, your favored hobbies, or simply keeping up with household chores.

When you treat your pain with epidural steroid injections, your ability to engage in everyday activities improves. Less pain equals a better quality of life, and epidural steroid injections could be the key to more productivity and fulfillment.

4. Valuable diagnostic information

Because Integrated Spine and Pain Services uses X-ray guidance for epidural steroid injections, Dr. Clop and Dr. Behnaz might learn more about the origin of your disc-related pain during the procedure.

By gathering information on where your pain starts, the condition of your spinal discs, or other conditions and injuries contributing to your pain, they can develop a more effective treatment plan.

Learn more about epidural steroid injections for disc-related pain

Dr. Clop and Dr. Behnaz are prepared to evaluate your pain and answer your questions about treatment for disc pain. Call Integrated Spine and Pain Services to learn more about epidural steroid injections or schedule an appointment online.