Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injection

I had the 3 injections about a year ago. After the first injection about 50% cured. It took 2 more injections about 3 to 4 weeks apart to cure me 100%. Did have some leg pain, but could not tell if it was my old knee or the pitched nerve. So got a shot in the knee. Now all the leg and back pain is gone. GO FOR IT What do you have to lose.

Good advice from your surgeon to try the shots first. Depending on the cause of pain which MAY only be determined with a MRI the shots may work as a cure or for temporary relief. I did the shots and had to have them several times a year. Finally decided to get the surgery. Two inch (or less) incision cleaned out a cyst and calcium build up. Much better now. Good to know that surgeon suggest shots before cut.

I had those shots (lots of them over a 3 year period. Was on a first name basis with the anesthesiologist. Finally talked to a surgeon that made sense to me and had the surgery for spinal stenosis. Been 7 years and all is good. The shots worked but never became a "cure".
Good luck with your particular problem.

times 2 they really help. procedure is not hard at all.

Give it a try. If it works, you've postponed/eliminated the need for surgery.

I know people who it helped and people who it didn't do anything for. Part depends on what the damage is and how extensive it is. Part is if there is any other damage along the spine.

all true its just a bandage, and if you have sugar? it,ll shoot up. takes few days for full effect to set in.

I had shots. . . first time back in 2002. Got me pain free for about 9 months. Then pain came back. Fast forward to 2016, pain got so bad I was having trouble walking. Tried shots again. They were totally different from the first time. Did absolutely nothing. I inquired about the procedure I had years before. Nurse said she never heard of such a procedure. ????

Decided to have surgery. I had a condition known as spondylolisthesis. I now have two rods, 6 screws, 2 cages and 3 fusions with implants. Best thing I ever did for myself. After 46 years of pain and limping, I am painfree and the limp is fading. I can't feel any of that in my back.

I do know that most insurance companies will require the shots first, which is why I had them done the second time. I also read where a neurosurgeon is the best for the procedure because of nerves involved, etc.

Dale

In the last 15-20 years I've had shots for 2 herniated discs in lower back. They gave me relief for a period of time but now I'm having nerve ablations done which give me better and longer relief. These are done as out patient in my doc's office under a local. A bit of discomfort but better than "going under."
Just realize that none of this cures the problem, just gives you some relief from the pain. At some point I'll need surgery but I'm trying to avoid that as long as the NA works.

I get the radio frequency nerve ablation in my neck. It is very effective for me. It basically shoots an electrical current into the nerve to temporarily "kill" it. Mine lasts about a year per procedure.

The main thing is that there are several possible options available for temporary pain relief that don't require surgery. The good is that you have an orthopedic surgeon willing to do surgery if this doesn'twork. That is the one thing I've seen go poorly with others - they get the shots, etc, which don't work, and are never referred to an orthopedic surgeon for surgery. They are just left to suffer the pain and the repeated "non-invasive" treatments that aren't helping.

As a Chiropractor, I order about a dozen ESI'S a year. I could write paragraphs on this, but just to give you ideas.

1) Low back and leg pain have different cases, ESI's work better for some than other low back pain causes

2) literature says about 50% effective, I feel when combined with manipulation more like 75%

3) Doc is going to read the MRI, and make a judgement call on what he thinks the pain generator is and inject at that point. He/she will put you under a fluoroscope, and guide the needle placement to that specific part of your spine

4) If they hit the right spot, relief will be pretty quick. (Called guided image injection) If no relief, that too is of value, because it rules that area out as the pain generator. Remember they are making an educated guess as to what is causing the pain, and sometimes they are wrong. So that will help with 2nd shot placement, and or surgery

5) Many times, it will be enough to calm down the nerve, and the patient may have long term relief

6) I always refer to a neuroradiologist, that is what these folks do every day.
They tend to be better at it that most Orthopedic folks. And same for surgery a neurosurgeon is your best bet

Just to hazard a guess, from your MRI findings, sounds like you may have what's called lateral canal stenosis, super common finding. ESI's do pretty well with that, along with exercise, ergonomics, manipulation combined with it.

If it comes to surgery, you might consider (MISS) minimally invasive spine surgery. Which is more like a rotor rooter job, than full on surgery with sawing away stuff and putting in all the hardware.

Hope it all works out for you