Interlaminar Epidural Steroid Injection

Interlaminar epidural steroid injection involves injecting steroid medication into your back, in the area between your spine and spinal cord. The medication helps to decrease inflammation and irritation of nerve roots or herniated disks. Risks of complication for epidural steroid injection are low and include bleeding, infection, nerve injury or headache.

For the procedure, you will lie face down on an X-ray table, and your back will be scrubbed with an antibacterial cleanser. Your physician will use an X-ray camera to identify the targets for injection. A local anesthetic will be used to numb the skin, and a thin needle is placed in between the bones in your back to your epidural space. Contrast dye is used to confirm the medication — a mixture of saline and steroid — is injected into the correct place.

The procedure usually takes fewer than 15 minutes, and the steroids begin to take effect in two to three days. The duration of pain relief is different for every patient, but for some the relief lasts for months.

For brief educational videos, click the links below:

https://www.spine-health.com/video/epidural-steroid-injections-back-pain-and-leg-pain-video

https://www.spine-health.com/video/cervical-epidural-steroid-injection-video

The links to these videos are for educational purposes only. See disclaimer.