Lower back pain is one of the common conditions affecting most people today. In most cases, the pain might go away on its own but recurs when pressure or weight is exerted on the lower back. For this reason, consulting your physician is essential to help deal with the cause of your pain, leaving you comfortable. Among the commonly used methods to treat lower back pain are epidural injections, which provide both short-term and long-term relief. Therefore, if you are experiencing low back pain and seek relief, Dr. Francisco Del Valle Freehold and his team are here to your rescue. They are qualified and experienced pain management specialists who offer epidural injections to alleviate lower back pain. The treatment is administered at a state-of-the-art ambulatory surgical center usually located nearby, thus providing safety and high-level care. If you are interested in learning more about epidural injections, read on.
What are epidural injections?
Usually, epidural steroid injections are medications directed directly into the epidural space, which surrounds the nerve root in the spine. In most cases, a steroid-anesthetic injection is usually given to help reduce pain and inflammation in your lower back, thus improving your mobility. When epidural injections are combined with rehabilitative exercises and physical therapy, the effectiveness of your treatment is increased.
Which conditions can benefit from epidural injections?
Generally, epidural injections treat nerve damage or irritation, especially in the lower back. However, there are other conditions that epidural injections address, including:
- Spinal stenosis
Spinal stenosis is a spinal condition where the spinal canal is narrowed, thus exerting pressure on the nerves it is supposed to protect. Typically, spinal stenosis usually causes various symptoms such as discomfort and discomfort. It also causes weakness and tingling in your extremities.
- Degenerative disc disease
Normally, repetitive stress, age, and brittle bones caused by osteoporosis cause damage to your degenerative discs, thus irritating nerves around them. Therefore, causing pain and inflammation in that region.
- Herniated disc
The primary function of discs is to act as shock absorbers for the vertebra which compose your spine. Even though the disc is relatively hard on the outside, the inside has soft centers. Therefore, any crack on the outer shell can make the inner part herniate or push through the surrounding nerves, thus irritating the nerves. Most herniated discs usually form in your lumbar spine or lower back.
What happens during your epidural injection appointment?
In most cases, your health care specialists usually perform fluoroscopic-guided epidural injections in the ambulatory surgical center, promoting safety and comfort throughout the procedure. Fluoroscopy is typically a technique used by care providers to view internal structures using x-ray images. Therefore, fluoroscopic-guided procedures are best because they are precise and directed to the particular region with a problem. During the procedure, your care provider ensures they place the epidural injection needed to alleviate inflammation and pain.
Epidural injections help reduce pain and discomfort in your lower back. Therefore, if you are experiencing pain, discomfort, or tingling in your extremities and seek relief, you can start by calling or booking your appointment online at Healthcare Pain Centers LLC today.