Any horror stories when it comes to epidurals?

[FatTony]

I crushed three vertebrae when i was younger and decided to get an epidural into my back about 3 years ago. For the last three years, no pain whatsoever. I could work out in the gym without pain. No problems at all.

Well the epidural has finally worn off and I'm in agony!!!! Can barely move now and haven't been in the gym in weeks. I was going to get another shot into my back, but I was talking to someone at work and was told this is the worst thing you can do. You're masking damage to the point of really screwing up your back.

I'm going to talk a doctor about it next week, but does anyone have feedback on the pro and cons?

 

[mj23]

Cant help you there buddy.

 

[levistep]

Well the epidural has finally worn off and I'm in agony!!!! Can barely move now and haven't been in the gym in weeks. I was going to get another shot into my back, but I was talking to someone at work and was told this is the worst thing you can do. You're masking damage to the point of really screwing up your back.

Your friend is right. You can mask the pain and function for a little while, but you are doing longterm damage.

 

[ElNies]

I would get the shot again but take it easy...don't do the gym or any high impact exercises and start swimming.

Take care of your posture also, once the pain subsides, you tend do to forget you have back problems and you forget good posture.

 

[buddym]

Hope you get some input in this . I'm going next Wed for my nechk and am very nervous. i work out five days a week , however i have severe arthritis in #234 and 5 . I had a whiplash aout 10 years ago and i guess some scar tissue formed. Dr assured me no problem and after three shoulder operations and probably 25 or 30 cortisone injections over 10 years for assundry things, am a lttle nervous. When they go messing around with something close to your spine i get nervous.

 

[FatTony]

I would get the shot again but take it easy...don't do the gym or any high impact exercises and start swimming.

Take care of your posture also, once the pain subsides, you tend do to forget you have back problems and you forget good posture.

That's good advice if I do decide to get it again.

Hope you get some input in this . I'm going next Wed for my nechk and am very nervous.

The procedure is not that bad at all. I had the shot in the back of my neck also and It felt like the needle was touching the back of my throat. Don't get freaked out. You will have pain for two days after and then it goes away.

 

[FatTony]

Your friend is right. You can mask the pain and function for a little while, but you are doing longterm damage.

If you look at what it is, I'm not sure you would get long term damage.....

How an epidural steroid injection work
An epidural is an injection that delivers steroids directly into the epidural space in the spine. Sometimes a flushing solution (either lidocaine or normal saline) is also used to help "flush out" inflammatory proteins from around the area that may be the source of pain.
The epidural space is the space between the dura mater (a membrane) and the vertebral wall and is filled with fat and small blood vessels. It is located just outside the dural sac. The dural sac surrounds the nerve roots and cerebrospinal fluid (the fluid that the nerve roots are bathed in).
Epidural steroid injections for inflammation
There are often inflammatory factors and other substances that generate pain (e.g. substance P) that are associated with a lumbar disc herniation (see Figure 1), and this inflammation can cause significant nerve root irritation and swelling.
Steroids (corticosteroids) have been shown to reduce inflammation by inhibiting the production of substances that cause inflammation, the epidural steroid injection can be highly effective because it delivers the medication directly to the site of inflammation (see Figure 2).