An epidural steroid injection places anti-inflammatory medication into the space around an irritated spinal nerve root. The target is the inflamed nerve, not the back itself, which is why it is usually offered when the dominant complaint is pain travelling down a leg or an arm.
In Colorado Springs this procedure is performed in office at Interquest. It is placed under live X-ray guidance rather than by feel. Where a clinic does not perform a procedure on site, your care is coordinated to one that does.
It is usually considered for sciatica, a herniated or bulging disc pressing on a nerve root, spinal stenosis, or radiculopathy in the neck producing pain, numbness or weakness into the arm. It is generally not the right tool for mechanical back pain with no radiating component.
Nobody is offered a procedure at a first appointment. The first visit is an examination and a plan; the procedure is consented and scheduled separately, and most plans require prior authorization first, which we arrange.
You lie face down, or on your side for some neck injections. The skin is cleaned and numbed, and the needle is placed under live X-ray guidance with a small amount of contrast confirming the position before any medication goes in. The injection itself takes a few minutes.
You go home afterwards rather than staying overnight. Arrange a lift if you would rather not drive.
Many people feel notably better for the first few hours; that is the local anaesthetic, and it wears off. The steroid takes several days to do its work, so judge it on the following week rather than the following evening. A day or two that is worse than before is common and is not a sign of failure.
Whatever the result, it is information. A good response confirms the source of the pain; a poor one usually means the pain is coming from somewhere else, and that changes the plan rather than ending it.
We accept most major insurance plans and are in network with most Medicare Advantage plans in both states. These procedures generally require prior authorization, which we arrange, and benefits are verified before anything is scheduled.
Read more about epidural steroid injection or Pain Management in Colorado Springs.
Every clinic below has Chiropractic, Physical Therapy, Acupuncture and Pain Management on one chart, so care can move between them without a new referral.
Downtown out through the north, west, south and east suburbs.
Academy, Interquest and Tenderfoot cover the north, central and south of the city.
Harmony in Fort Collins and our Greeley clinic serve Larimer and Weld counties.
Across the Valley, from the West Valley through Phoenix to the East Valley.
In office at our Interquest clinic.
No referral is needed to be evaluated. The procedure itself is scheduled after an assessment, and most insurance plans require prior authorization, which we arrange.
No. The first visit is an examination and a plan. Procedures are consented and scheduled separately.
The skin is numbed with local anaesthetic. You are awake, and being awake is useful because you can tell the physician what you feel.
The procedure itself takes a few minutes to under an hour depending on what is being treated. Allow longer for preparation and a short rest afterwards.
Often yes, but not always. You will be told in advance, so arrange a lift if you would rather not find out on the day.
We accept most major plans and are in network with most Medicare Advantage plans in both states. Prior authorization is usually required and we arrange it.
That is useful information rather than a dead end. It usually means the pain is coming from a different structure, which changes the plan.
Epidural Steroid Injection is performed in office at our Interquest clinic. No referral is needed to be evaluated, and appointments are usually available within the same week.
