I had them three times. Very short relief (a day or two) Did not help me.

i also had the epidural and they did not help, the pain was gone for a day or so and came right back. i had the fusion done.

For me, it reduced the pain (slightly) in different areas. Since then more things have gone wrong. I'm waiting on authorization for a nerve block.

Pain mgt doctor does use a machine to guide the needle in.

I had two injections. The first one did nothing. The 2nd did almost nothing. I would not recommend to anynone.

A machine?!?! What do you mean a machine? I'm scheduled to have one on Mon. I already had a laminectomy last July that made pain go away for 1 month. What's the difference in nerve block and epidural?

I too found that it was a temporary relief only. I have had three injection procedures. The effects were felt for a day or so at most.

I had it done a year ago and it didn't change the pain at all, just made me feel stiff and swolen in that area. Oh, and my Dr. hit a nerve with the needle which apparently caused me to yelp out in pain and start crying during the procedure (even though I was sedated).

Personally, I wouldn't recommend it, but I'm also not very physically receptive to medications and similar treatments.

i have had only two injections so far and the second one kinda went bad! what happnd was the went to deep with the needle and poked a hole in my spinal sack which gave me the worse headach i have ever had in my life. if this happens to anyone else they say to drink lots of caffiene, for me it helped to sit up on the coutch and put a pillow in my lap and lay my haed on it! if this does happen you will need to get an "emergency blood patch". this is a procedure where they thake blood from your arm and clot the hole that is leaking the spinal fluid. I really dont have any idea if the first one worked or not. i hear that it cold take a few injections to work! althoe i do know of plenty of people that say three injections made them feel l normal again.

doug, i've had epidurals in the past that really haven't done too much. i'm going in for another one on the 14th. with facet injections. if you like, i will talk to you in length after i have these done. in the mean time....gentle hugs to you

In case someone is still wondering about the usefulness of this particular treatment, there are 37 replies before mine.. and not one of them is positive.

Unfortunately, like so many other back treatments, Epidural Injections are next to useless and not worth the 3 or 4 day relief (if they work) and often create additional problems. But this fact won't detour many people.

The problem is, as always, the desperation that accompanies chronic pain. Any treatment someone with chronic pain hasn't tried becomes an avenue they can invest their hopes and sanity into.

The process of meeting with the doctor and scheduling the shots provides a sense of "I'm doing something about it" and an anticipation of some relief, while in reality, the shots will provide very temporary relief if any and can quickly cause more problem than you had to begin.

Physical therapy is a much better idea but.. it requires real effort. It can't just be injected. Goodluck Doug.

I had epidural injections last sept, they helped for about a month, but I ended up having back surgery anyway! Really think about it before you put yourself through that!

I would never, never have that! A co-worker of my husband had that done and now he limps real bad and the paid is worse.
I tried acupuncture once, and never again. he poked a needle in my back and the pain shot down my leg, I made him take it out.

I blame a steroid epidural for my radiating pain from the site of injection, down hips, legs, to feet. This was 4 years ago and still continues. The anesthesiologist did not use fluoroscopy to guide the needle. I asked about it and the nurse said that they "used to use it, but now they don't." The dr. actually said that he was late getting to me because he had just had to do an epidural using fluoroscopy per a drs. orders. He said it was much harder, having to do it that way". Go figure!!! I should have gotten off that table and run as fast as I could. But..I didn't. So, now I have terrible nerve pain. 24/7. I would never recommend this procedure. My hubby says that they use ethylene glycol, the same ingredient used in antifreeze. I'd like to know that for sure. Captain bj

I will never go through those shots again. Mine was given to me (3 epi, 2 nerve blocks) while I was awake, and not sedated. These did not help me, and I won't do them again!!,
Too much pain for what I got.

I have to start with epidurals before we discuss surgery. It's a stopgap measure, but my neurologist is taking that approach, and if I don't have marked relief after the second injection, we'll discuss surgical intervention. I'd rather go through the channels then jump into surgery. I'm a little uncomfortable about the injections after reading this thread. Wish me luck.