The Epidural Injection treatment for low back pain

Many patients come into our office with extreme low back pain caused by a herniated or bulging disc. This pain is often rated as a 10/10 (where 0=no pain, 10= worst possible pain). Before they come into our office, they have often tried other types of treatment. Often they have tried pain medications prescribed by their Dr, physical therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic, and epidural injections. Today I want to discuss what an epidural injection is, how it is performed and the risks involved with this treatment. It is called an epidural injection because because pain medication is injected into the epidural space of the spine. It is often used to treat such conditions as sciatica or pain caused by a pinched nerve in the lumbar spine. The injection is composed of a anesthetic medicine that caused a numbing sensation as well as long lasting corticosteroid. The purpose of these medications is to reduce inflammation around the irritated nerve and flush out those chemicals causing the pain.

Possible Risks of Epidurals

There are some possible risks of having an epidural treatment. These risks include:

• Infection
  
• Bleeding
  
• Damage to the nerve- this can occur from direct contact from the needle
  
• Dural Puncture
  
• Paralysis
  

Possible Side Effects of Epidurals

There are possible short term side effects that can occur with epidural treatment. They include: numbness in your low back, buttocks or legs for several hours after the procedure, and pain at the injection site.

Contraindications to having an Epidural

Contraindications include patients who have a local or systemic bacterial infection, are pregnant, or have bleeding problems. It is also important to make sure check are completed for heart disease, diabetes and blood pressure as these medical conditions can be a contraindication.

What is the difference between disc herniation and disc bulge in the lumbar spine ?

There is a difference between a disc herniation and a disc bulge. Both can be diagnosed by looking at a lumbar MRI. A disc is made up of two parts

• Nucleus- the inside part of the disc that is soft and compressible
  
• Annulus- the outer portion or ring that contains the nucleus
  

With a disc bulge the material within a disc will remain within the annulus.
The inner nucleus pushes out against the annulus causing the disc to bulge out of the confines of the disc space and project to some extent into the spinal canal which is behind the disc.



With the disc herniation, the disc material breaks through the annulus of the disc. If this disc material then puts pressure on the nerves it can cause leg pain, pain into the buttocks, or numbness and tingling into the legs. A disc that is herniated is sometimes also known as a "slipped" or "ruptured" disc.

Non surgical spinal decompression using the DRX 9000 can provide pain relief from a disc bulge or disc herniation. Spinal Decompression creates a negative pressure or a vacuum inside the disc. This effect causes the disc to pull in the herniation and the increase in negative pressure also causes the flow of blood and nutrients back into the disc allowing the body's natural fibroblastic response to heal the injury and re-hydrate the disc.

Visit us at CT Spine and Disc Center- Our Chiropractic office is located in Central CT. Got Questions? Call us
860-633-8756 anytime or email us at info@ctbackdr.com

Happy New Year फ्रॉम कट स्पिन ऎंड डिस्क सेंटर !

Hello everyone, Happy New Year! May 2008 be a year that is filled with good health and happiness. CT Spine and Disc Center is committed to helping you with optimal health throughout the year.


Visit us at CT Spine and Disc Center- Our Chiropractic office is located in Central CT. Got Questions? Call us
860-633-8756 anytime or email us at info@ctbackdr.com