Cervical Epidural injections due to cervical stenosis

[katbid]

Is it normal to have moderate swelling in the lower back of the neck 3 days after receiving the third cervical epidural injection?
I still have a lot of pain and have now noticed the swelling.  I almost look like hunch back but with the hump higher

[bucbabe63]

I am also looking for the same answer.  I had my first cervical epidural 2 weeks ago.  I've had a constant headache and my upper back, at the base of my neck is still pretty swollen and sore.  I am trying to find out IF this is normal and how long it will last.   I used ice for the first 24 hours solid and off and on since.   Doesn't seem to make a difference.  

My headache and neck pain doesn't respond to pain meds, muscle relaxers or anything.  I mentioned it to my doctor at my follow up and they've recommended another cervical epidural.    

I need some real answers.  Help!  

[Dr Sharma]

Hi there. Cervical epidural injection places anti-inflammatory medicine into the epidural space to decrease inflammation of nerve roots, reducing the pain in neck, shoulders and arms.  The epidural injection may help by reducing inflammation, and may provide permanent relief or a period of pain relief for several months while the cause of pain is healing. For the procedure, an iv is started to give a anxiolytic, and you must have been psotioned so that the doctor can best visualize the neck with xray guidance. The skin of the back of neck is scrubbed, using two types of sterile scrub and small area of skin is numbed with a local anesthetic. After sometime, the doctor directs a small needle under fluoroscopic guidance into the epidural space. A small amount of contrast is injected to insure proper positioning of the needle in epidural space and a small amount of local anesthetic and anti inflammatory, steroid is injected. The swelling of the back could be local extravasation of these drugs and need to be checked by the neurologist. Hope this helps and take care.