Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injections in NJ

What Is a Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injection?

A lumbar epidural steroid injection is a non-surgical treatment for low back pain, administered to the epidural space in your spine. The epidural space lies between a membrane and the vertebral wall. The injection contains a combination of local anesthetic and steroid medication.

The local anesthetic numbs the inflamed spinal nerves in your lumbar spine while it reduces the pain and other symptoms. The steroids reduce the inflammation. Millions of people suffer from low back pain resulting from nerve compression or irritation. A lumbar epidural injection delivers pain relief right where it’s needed and restores pain-free functionality to your lower back and legs.

If you have nagging lower back pain, Dr. Amr Hosny and a talented team of spine doctors at the Spine & Rehab Group have the skills and technology to effectively diagnose and treat that pain. If a lumbar epidural steroid injection is prescribed, they steer your recovery. The doctors at these state-of-the-art pain treatment clinics in New York City and across norther New Jersey use the latest medical approaches for diagnosis and treatment of many spinal conditions.

Epidural steroid injections offer a minimally invasive approach to pain management, but they should be used judiciously and not be considered a first-line treatment for every patient.
Dr. Amr Hosny, MD, MBA, FASA

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How Can a Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injection Help?

Lumbar spine conditions can alter your life because of the pain and other debilitating symptoms. The condition arises when injuries or degeneration of one of your lumbar spinal discs compresses the spinal nerve roots.

Your doctor uses a lumbar epidural steroid injection for pain relief to treat a number of back pain conditions, such as:

• Lumbar spine degenerative disc disease
• A lumbar bulging disc
• Lumbar radiculopathy
• A lumbar disc herniation
• A lower back sprain
• Lumbar stenosis
• Sciatica

A lumbar epidural injection helps with most conditions that inflame the spinal nerves in your lower back. In NYC and northern NJ, consult the doctors led by Dr. Hosny. They use advanced imaging testing to identify the cause of your spinal pain and recommend effective, targeted treatment.

Is a Lumbar Epidural Injection Necessary?

Lower back pain can bring your life to a halt. You have problems walking, sitting, standing and doing ordinary tasks.

A lumbar epidural injection can give you back control of your life in a number of ways, including:

• Providing long-term pain relief
• Restoring function to your back and legs
• Reducing the risk of overdependence on pain medications
• Allowing you to live a healthy and active life
• Postponing surgery in case of minor disc damage

Talk to your doctor to understand the benefits of this minimally invasive procedure and how it can affect your life. Alternative treatments may include physical therapy, minimally invasive surgery and other solutions.

What Happens During a Lumbar Epidural Injection?

After a thorough examination of your medical history and imaging tests, your doctor may decide that a lumbar epidural steroid injection is your best treatment option.

The steps expected with this procedure include:

1. Lying comfortably on an x-ray table, facing down
2. Having the injection area cleaned and numbed
3. Receiving the injection of the medication — your spine doctor uses live x-rays from a fluoroscope to guide the needle into the epidural space
4. Resting and being monitored after the injection
5. Being discharged to start your lumbar epidural steroid injection recovery

You may experience minor pain after a lumbar epidural steroid injection. This and any other mild side effects that you experience pass quickly.

You may notice such side effects as:

• Numbness
• Local tenderness
• Nausea
• Headache
• Flushing in the face

Who’s a Good Candidate for a Lumbar Epidural Injection?

If you suffer from incapacitating lower back pain, your doctor carries out tests to determine whether a lumbar epidural injection is the right treatment for you.

Indications that you’re a good candidate for this non-surgical treatment include that you have:

• Chronic back pain or sciatica
• Tried conservative treatment methods with no success
• Numbness or tingling in your leg or foot
• Intermittent or continuous back pain
• Spasm of your back muscles
• Muscle weakness in your legs
• Poor reflexes at your knee or ankle

Some factors may not make this the best treatment for you.

These include:

• Pregnancy
• Allergies to steroid treatments
• Bleeding conditions
• Active infections

The spine specialists at the Spine & Rehab Group leverage the latest technology to evaluate your symptoms and diagnose the condition causing your lower back pain. A lumbar epidural steroid injection is the first step toward an individualized treatment plan to get you back to an active lifestyle. Contact the team at the Spine & Rehab Group today to get the most effective treatment for your lower back problem.

Dr. Hosny is a distinguished physician, educator, and healthcare leader with a commitment to advancing health equity and accessibility in the rapidly evolving landscape of modern healthcare. After completing his residency at St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital Center, affiliated with Columbia University in New York City, he pursued an Interventional Spine Fellowship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, part of Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA.

Dr. Hosny has held prominent roles in academic medicine, including serving as an Associate Clinical Professor at New York Medical College and as the Interventional Spine Fellowship Program Director. These positions reflect his dedication to mentoring the next generation of healthcare professionals and advancing the field of interventional spine care.

More About Dr. Hosny

The Spine & Rehab Group
140 NJ-17,
Paramus, NJ 07652
(212) 242-8160