An epidural steroid injection (ESI) is a minimally invasive procedure that can help relieve neck, arm, back, and leg pain. It introduces corticosteroid and an anesthetic numbing agent into the epidural space, the fat-filled area between the protective sac of spinal nerves and the bone.

ESI quickly delivers pain medicine into the body with a syringe. Pain may be relieved for several days or even years. Conversely, the pain management solution may only offer temporary appeasement of the discomfort.

The treatment reduces pain caused by inflamed spinal nerves due to ailments like spinal stenosis, disc herniation, "slipped" vertebrae, joint cysts, bone spurs, or thickening ligaments in the spine because of spinal arthritis. ESI results in the ability to resume normal activities and a physical therapy (PT) program.

Signs and Symptoms

• Intense leg or arm pain
• Inflamed spinal nerve