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Epidural Steroid Injection

Medical Author: William C. Shiel, Jr, MD, FACP, FACR
Medical Contributing Author: Standiford Helm II, MD
Medical Editor: Melissa Conrad Stoppler, MD

What is an epidural steroid injection?

An epidural steroid injection is a common procedure to treat spinal nerve irritation that is caused by tissues next to the nerve pressing against it. The beginning of the nerve (nerve root) is most often irritated by an inflamed intervertebral disc, or disc contents, directly touching the spinal nerve.

Herniated Disc

[Drawing of a disc herniation compressing the spinal nerve root]

An epidural steroid injection involves bathing an inflamed nerve root in steroids (potent anti-inflammation medicine) in order to decrease the irritation of the nerve root that is causing pain.




Next: How is an epidural steroid injection performed? »

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Epidural Steroid Injection

Pinched Nerve »

Introduction to pinched nerve

Nerves are like electrical cords that carry information from the brain to the rest of the body and vice-versa. They are distributed throughout the entire body.

  • Motor (efferent) nerves carry information from the brain out to the body. This allows the brain to send commands to the various organs of the body. For example, these commands are sent to the muscles causing them to contract and move, or sends information to the heart to either beat faster or slower.
  • Sensory (afferent) nerves send information from the body back to the brain for processing, including information about pain, touch, taste, temperature, or other sensations.

The information travels along the nerve by an electrochemical signal, much like information traveling along an electrical cord. When a nerve is pinched, the signal is interrupted somewhere along its path.

What caus...

Read the Pinched Nerve article »




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