Are epidural steroid injections safe for cervical herniations?

Answer 1

Epidural steroid injections have been used to treat pain due to cervical herniations for many years now. For the most part, the injections are safe and effective. There have been some cases of complications, but this is true for every medical procedure.

Answer 2

Only if a disk is herniated as a result of the stenosis - there's no other reason for an epidural or facet injection.

Epidurals are local steroid injections in the area of the affected disk (the pain is as bad as the disk pain and takes a few days to subside). Facet injections are targeted injections using a catheter needle and a Fluoroscope to guide the needle to a specific point of the spine that is causing problems. While they help, if the problem is severe enough, it's only a temporary measure. You can also only have up to 9 steroid injections per year or it starts to become a bone issue. Still, if you can get by with injections and avoid surgery, do so. Surgery on the spine should only be considered when all other possible options have been exhausted, and you're looking at wheelchair. I had no choice for all 3 of my spinal operations, and before I spent many years of both epidurals and facet injections alike. Neither are fun to go through. Facet injections require a local anesthetic, typically Lidocaine injections, which sting and burn quite a bit.

If the damage isn't that bad, the disk swelling should be relieved, but if after the 2nd injection it isn't any better, then they'll start talking about surgical intervention. Do what you can to avoid that option.