Epidural steroid injections can support daily function by reducing pain brought on by movement. If you have discomfort along your back, a back doctor may recommend an epidural steroid injection. Here are some benefits of choosing to have these injections:
1. Pain Relief
Epidural steroid injections can help reduce the inflammation of the nerves in your back and decrease chronic pain. If you have symptoms of sciatica, these injections may relieve some or all of the discomfort due to this condition. Steroid injections soothe your pain by targeting receptors in specific regions of the body. Injections can also help relieve pinched nerves and stop uncomfortable tingling sensations. Your ability to perform daily functions may increase, and any leg numbness caused by issues in the back should decrease.
2. Improved Mobility
After a qualified back doctor successfully injects the steroids, the muscles in your back relax. Reducing inflammation also relieves pressure on the nerves to avoid future stiffness in the back. These injections could also help you have better bending capacity and restore your normal levels of flexibility and extension. They may allow you to more quickly climb stairs and maintain a seated position for an extended period of time.
3. Non-Surgical Option
Undergoing epidural steroid injection treatments does not require any local anesthesia. Injections are a less invasive alternative to surgery and will not damage as much tissue as an operation. This also lowers the potential risk of infections and helps you avoid any unnecessary hospital stays.
4. Quick Onset
Epidural injections relieve symptoms quickly and rapidly control inflammation by decompressing the nerves for increased comfort. By helping you resume your activities and reducing swelling in your back, the healing process may continue at a faster rate. Epidural injections are a timely intervention that does not require waiting for a long time to begin working on conditions like morning stiffness. They may also help you have pain-free nights and prevent issues from worsening.
5. Reduced Medication Need
Under the supervision and care of your doctor, epidural steroid injections can decrease the need for painkillers that you take for your back pain. Other benefits of a reduced need for pain medications include eliminating dependence on them long-term, decreasing your drug tolerance, experiencing fewer medication side effects, decreasing the risk of painkiller addiction, and gaining more mental clarity. Taking fewer medications also means that you do not have to visit the pharmacy as often.
6. Targeted Treatment
Another advantage of using epidural steroid injections is that they allow doctors to focus on or localize nerve pain. The injections work on specific inflammation zones to avoid systemic effects. By isolating the problem regions, tracking symptoms is much more precise and accurate. Injections can target certain spinal segments and halt the spread of pain to other vertebrae or muscles.
Working With a Back Doctor
While you receive the injections, your doctor will focus on painful places in your back. Treating localized swelling can help you avoid undergoing excessive treatment. Injections also soothe the causes of pain at the root. To learn more about epidural injections, contact a back doctor and find out if it is the right treatment for you.
