Cervical Epidural Injection
What Is The Epidural Space?
The membrane that covers the spinal cord and nerve roots in your neck is called the dura membrane. The space surrounding the dura is the epidural space. Nerves travel through the epidural space to your back and into your legs. Inflammation of these nerve roots may cause pain in these regions due to irritation from a damaged disc or from contact in some way with the bony structure of the spine.
What Is An Epidural And Why Is It Helpful?
An epidural injection places anti-inflammatory medicine into the epidural space to decrease inflammation of the nerve roots, hopefully reducing the pain in your back or legs. The epidural injection may help the injury to heal by reducing inflammation. It may provide permanent relief or provide a period of pain relief for several months while the injury/cause of your pain is healing.
What Will Happen To Me During The Procedure?
An IV will be started so that relaxation medication can be given. You will be placed lying on your stomach on the x-ray table and positioned in such a way that your doctor can best visualize your back using x-ray guidance. The skin on your back will be scrubbed using 2 types of sterile scrub (soap). Next, the physician will numb a small area of skin on your low back with numbing medicine. This medicine stings for several seconds. After the numbing medicine has been given time to be effective, your doctor will direct a small needle using x-ray guidance into the tiny bony opening (sacral hiatus) just above the crease in your buttocks. A small amount of contrast (dye) is then injected to insure proper needle position in the epidural space. If the medicine does not travel high enough to reach the affected area, a small catheter will be placed into the epidural space and advanced up to the area of abnormality. Then, a mixture of numbing medicine (anesthetic) and anti-inflammatory (cortisone/steriod) will be injected.
What Will Happen After The Procedure?
You will go back to the recovery area where you will be monitored for 30-60 mins. You will then record the relief you experience during the next week on a post injection evaluation sheet (“pain diary”). This will be given to you when you are discharged home. You will also be given a follow-up appointment for a repeat block if indicated. These injections are usually done in a series of three (3), about two (2) weeks apart. PLEASE mail this completed “pain diary” to the doctor that is performing the procedure and their office will contact you if it is necessary to change your next appointment.
You will NOT be able to drive the day of your procedure. Your legs may feel weak and numb for a few hours.
General Pre/Post Instructions
You should eat a light meal within a few hours of your procedure. If you are an insulin dependent diabetic, do not change your normal eating pattern prior to the procedure. Please take your routine medications (i.e. high blood pressure and diabetic medications). If you are on Coumadin (blood thinners) or Glucophage (a diabetic medicine) you must notify this office so the timing of these medications can be explained. You will be at one of the hospitals approximately 2-3 hours for your procedure. YOU WILL NEED TO BRING A DRIVER WITH YOU. You may return to your normal activities the day after the procedure, including returning to work.
Spine Physicians Institute treats back pain, neck pain, herniated discs, stenosis and other spine problems. Patients come to the spine center from across the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Dr. Sethuraman is one of few Mayo Clinic fellowship-trained spine surgeons in the North Texas area. A fellowship is the highest level of medical education in the U.S.