Men and women throughout throughout Southern California who suffer from low back pain and leg pain may be candidates for Lumbar Epidural Injections, also known as Epidural Steroid Injections or ESIs. As a nonsurgical treatment for back pain and sciatica, epidural steroid injections provide tremendous relief for some individuals, without the risks inherent in back surgery and recovery, including the potential for addiction to pain relievers.
Relief from pain back and sciatica as the result of receiving a Lumbar Epidural Injection is temporary. For individuals suffering acute back pain, the relief is typically significant enough to ease suffering. For individuals with chronic back pain, relief from ESIs may last weeks, months, or in rare cases, years. Chronic back pain sufferers in Los Angeles may receive up to three Lumbar Epidural Injections in one year.
ESIs are outpatient procedures. Dr. Peterson will have you lay down and use a live X-ray to guide him as he injects a steroid solution in the epidural space. The procedure typically lasts less 30 minutes. After the procedure you will be monitored for a brief period before you're released to return home. Most patients have this performed using twilight anesthesia ("MAC" anesthesia) but it is not absolutely necessary.
Some Los Angeles area men and women will experience fear and anxiety before having a Lumbar Epidural Steroid injection. However, the procedure generally only results in minor discomfort. Occasionally following the procedure, you may experience tenderness in the area where the needle was inserted, but a bit of ice will help with this. You will be advised to take it easy for the rest of the day, but you can resume normal activities the following day.
Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injections often yield terrific results for men and women in Southern California suffering from leg pain. They are also often effective in reducing low back pain, thus reducing the need for painkillers, and postponing or avoiding surgery.