Understanding Spinal Health: The Key to Well-Being
It’s easy to see how spinal problems can cause back pain, but what does your spine have to do with your overall health? Plenty. Here’s how your spinal health can help or harm your well-being.
How Epidural Injections Can Help Your Pain Management
Acute pain is brutal but temporary. Chronic pain keeps you in agony day in and day out, constantly reminding you of your lack of mobility and limited life.
That’s no way to live.
When simple measures like over-the-counter medications don’t do the trick, you need next-level pain relief, but you want to avoid surgery if possible. We understand.
At McNulty Spine, we always treat pain with the appropriate conservative treatments first, and look at surgery when these fail, or have little to no chance of success. The goal is to get your pain definitively addressed, whichever pathway is best.
That’s when epidural spinal injections come in. Dr. Patrick McNulty, our award-winning, double-board-certified orthopedic surgeon, often recommends spinal injections as part of a comprehensive pain management plan. Epidurals are one of several injection options that Dr. McNulty performs.
What’s in an epidural injection?
When you hear “epidural,” you might immediately think of childbirth, but epidural injections are used for more than just labor and delivery.
Essentially, an epidural is a mix of anesthetic and steroid medication. The anesthetic numbs the area, providing immediate — but temporary — relief. The steroid reduces inflammation and swelling for longer-term relief.
Dr. McNulty injects the medication into the space around your spinal nerves, delivering it directly where you need it most. The medication bathes your nerves, reduces inflammation, and calms pain signals sent to your brain.
Because the medication doesn’t travel throughout your body, it bypasses your digestive system (which absorbs a good percentage of oral medications) and goes straight to the source.
Not all epidurals are the same; Dr. McNulty can tailor your injections to treat specific areas depending on your pain’s origin. Whether you're dealing with lower back or neck, epidural injections can address your pain.
What conditions can an epidural injection help?
Dr. McNulty uses epidurals to treat several spinal conditions, primarily those involving nerve-related pain, such as:
Sciatica
Sciatica occurs when something presses against your sciatic nerve, which runs down one or both legs from the lower back. An epidural coats the sciatic nerve with pain-relieving medication, providing much-needed relief.
Herniated discs
When a disc in your spine bulges out and invades the spinal space, it can press against nearby nerves and cause significant pain. The anti-inflammatory properties of the steroid in an epidural can help reduce the swelling and pressure on the affected nerves.
Spinal stenosis
Epidurals can also alleviate pain associated with spinal stenosis, a condition that causes your spinal canal to narrow. This narrowing can compress the nerves and lead to pain, numbness, or weakness.
Do epidural injections hurt?
The last thing you want when you’re in pain is more pain. If the thought of a needle near your spine seems scary, relax.
Dr. McNulty applies a local anesthetic first to numb the injection site, so you won’t feel much more than a slight prick when he inserts the needle.
As Dr. McNulty guides the needle to the correct spot, you might feel pressure or tingling. He uses imaging guidance, like fluoroscopy, to ensure he delivers the medication to the precise spot.
Temporary soreness at the injection site after the procedure is normal, but it should subside within a day or two.
How long do epidural injections last?
The duration of relief from an epidural injection varies from person to person.
For some, pain relief might be immediate but fade, while others may experience sustained relief.
The initial relief is often due to the anesthetic, which can wear off after a few hours. However, the steroid takes a day or two to kick in, which is a good thing — this delayed action reduces inflammation and contributes to longer-lasting pain relief.
You can repeat epidural injections if necessary, but usually not more than 2 or 3 injections spaced more than 2 weeks apart. This will depend on how you respond to the injections.
Can an epidural or other types of spinal injections change your life? Find out. Call or email McNulty Spine in Las Vegas, Nevada, or request an appointment online.
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