Sally returns to her doctor six weeks after her first ESI. The leg pain is back, although with a little less intensity. She would like another shot. Her doctor agrees but warns her that she can only have three injections within a six month period of time.
Unfortunately, steroid medications also have an ugly side that limits their use. Too many injections with steroids can lead to serious problems in the surrounding tissues. Ligaments and muscles become weakened by long-term exposure to steroids. Additionally, steroids can cause some serious hormonal problems in the body. Because of the temporary and limited benefits of epidural steroid injections, other types of treatments are necessary in conjunction with this quick-fix for neurogenic pain. Even with an injection, one cannot avoid the necessity for regular exercise, good nutrition, and good health. But, those things take time to relieve pain. With spinal injections, a person can buy enough time to get the slower-acting treatments in place. For now, epidural steroids will continue to be a mainstay treatment for neurogenic pain because the realized and potential benefits continue to outweigh the costs and risks.
