As a commonly administered form of regional anaesthesia involving injection of drugs through a catheter, an epidural injection can correct or relieve pain. Consultants at Spire Roding Hospital, London, are available every day to help alleviate painful conditions.
What is an epidural injection?
For some people, epidural injections can help to relieve back pain or sciatica (shooting pain from the back down one or both legs) in the short term. This period of pain relief may allow them to become more active - keeping active is crucial to recovery from chronic back pain.
The injection consists of a steroid, a local anaesthetic or a combination of the two.. The position of the injection depends on which spinal nerves are responsible for the pain. This is usually in the lumbar region of the back (below the level of your lowest rib).
The injection is routinely carried out as a day case, with no overnight stay and usually takes between 10 and 20 minutes.