The Ultimate Back Pain Relief Tips Blog

An epidural is used to treat inflammation of a herniated disc by an injection of the steroid cortisone into the spine. Although your body creates cortisone naturally, the chemical in the injection is synthetically produced and its effects last for a number of days rather than minutes. Another difference is that while natural cortisone arrives through the bloodstream, the synthetic chemical enters directly to the inflamed area.

Many people suffering from back pain turn to epidural shots. An epidural steroid injection is a cortisone injection used to treat inflammation around the spine. Be sure to use epidural shots with caution. They tend to only relieve symptoms for a short period of time (lasting from a week up to a year). It is estimated that they help relieve the patient’s pain only about 50% of the time. The success rate varies depending on the condition and the degree of the condition the patient has. There is a lot of skepticism about the effectiveness of the injections and if it is appropriate to inject some patients. There are several side effects and risks associated with epidural injections.