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Epidural Injections: Not Just for Labor Pain

Epidural injections are most commonly associated with child labor. However, they are also used in pain management for back and neck pain sufferers as a result of a car accident. Bucks County is rich in pain management centers that provide the epidural injection option for patients in the Bucks County area.

The point of an epidural injection is to deliver an anti-inflammatory medicine, usually a steroid mixed with some kind of anesthetic. It is injected directly into the area surrounding the irritated portion of the spine. The steroid reduced inflammation while the anesthetic numbs the sensation of pain. Epidural injections can be done to either diagnose a problem or take care of a problem.

Epidural injections for neck and back pain are done as an outpatient process. The injections can be done at your doctor's office or at a hospital or other medical center. Even though the epidural injections are used for pain management, it can be recommended that you do not receive more than three injections a year. The reason for this is because there is a possibility that the drugs in the injection can weaken the spinal bones and the nearby muscles. Epidural injections and steroid injections in general, suppress your body's hormone balance that occurs naturally. The suppression of the natural hormone balance could result in adrenal insufficiency, which is a serious medical condition.

There are three ways that your doctor could administer the epidural injections:

Caudal Block: A caudal block injection is placed through a space that separates the lumbar spine and the sacrum part of the spine. This type of injection is used to manage lower back pain, as it is injected into the sacrum area.
A Translumbar injection is the most common way of administering an epidural injection. This type of injection is performed by placing the needle in between two vertebrae.
A Cervical Transforaminal injection is a more rare type of injection because your doctor needs to know the specific nerve root that the pain is coming from. Then your doctor will inject the medication around the specific nerve root. This type of injection is often used for diagnostic purposes. This is the type of epidural injection that is most commonly used in the neck.

A number of factors could contribute to neck and back pain such as being involved in a Pennsylvania car accident. There are varying degrees of injuries to the neck and back but the less severe injuries can be treated without surgery. Epidural injections can also be used for sciatica, which is a very common injury of a nerve in the leg. Injections are also used in combination with rehabilitation.

If you find yourself in need of epidural injections because you suffered a neck or back injury in a car accident, the Bucks County law office of Saile & Saile LLP may be able to help you.