Need Fast, Non-Surgical Relief for Lower Back Pain? An Epidural Injection May Be the Answer.

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Doctors and pain specialists generally recommend natural, non-surgical, and non-opioid treatments for pain.

Physical therapy, massage, over-the-counter medicines, and hot and cold therapy are a few of the most common first-line treatments. 

Fast-Acting Pain Relief for Weeks or Months

However, your doctor or pain specialist may recommend an epidural injection or nerve block when you have nerve-related pain in your lower back and legs.

Epidural injections for back pain are a powerful, non-invasive treatment that can provide pain relief for several months.

How They Work

Epidural injections can:  

  • Provide local pain relief.  
  • Block pain signals sent from the surrounding nerves.  
  • Temporarily cut off all sensory and motor neurons from below the injection site.  
  • Reduce swelling and inflammation.  

An injection contains either an anesthetic, a corticosteroid, or both. 

The anesthetic stops the nerves around the injection site from sending pain signals, and the corticosteroid reduces the swelling and inflammation.

When targeting herniated discs and swelling, epidurals may take 24 to 48 hours to start working.

Conditions epidural injections can help heal and provide pain relief for include:

  • pinched nerve
  • pain radiating from the spine
  • degenerative disc disease
  • herniated or bulging disc
  • recovery from back surgery
  • spondylolisthesis  
  • spinal stenosis
  • Sciatica

Conditions they don’t help to heal and provide pain relief for include:

  • general back pain (non-nerve related pain)
  • pain from bone spurs
  • pain from cancerous or non-cancerous growths
  • pain from pulled muscles 

Epidural injections may temporarily relieve pain from bone spurs or growths, which irritate the surrounding tissue and nerves.

However, this temporary relief will only delay other treatments or interventions (such as surgery).

Why Get One?

Epidural injections can be a temporary pain fix when you need to “buy time” for your back to heal from an injury.

They can also provide pain relief from a chronic pain condition as you go through physical therapy or other treatments with delayed benefits.

Though you will have to visit your pain physician and endure a little pain from the injection, it may save you weeks or months of popping pain meds.

And with an epidural injection, there’s no risk of addiction (unlike even short-term opioid prescriptions).

Back Pain Treatment in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Irving

Texas Pain Physicians is a leading patient-centered pain practice in Dallas, Houston, Irving, San Antonio, and the surrounding areas. 

Our pain specialists partner with you to help you achieve long-lasting pain relief. 

Please give us a call today at (972) 636-5727 or book an appointment online.