epidural/steroid injection

i just had mt first set of injection in my neck at c-5andc6,doctor thinks he might have nicked the dura,i have 2 more set of injection to do,i am really not feeling alot of releif i know it takes time,but how long does it take for the medication theyr injecting to work?and will i actually feel better?and will this last after its all said done or will i have to go thur this again?

[Jrsygrl109]

Did your doc use a radiograph (Xray) to guide him during the injection.  sad to say for me that I had eight shots in my neck over four months and none of them worked.  If yours does work, it will prob not be a permanent solution and will need to be redone periodically.  You didn't mention why you had the shots.  The reason why does make a difference.  I had severe instability - duh - if the c-spine is instable and you give shots to calm down the nerves - one would think the instability, moving around, will just re-pinch the nerve and aggravate them - but then again - I'm just a logical person, not a Doc.
Hope yours works better. I'm told it takes a while for the meds to actually start working on calming down the nerves.

[atonicat]

I didn't start to feel better until after the second round of injections. I had mine at 3 levels of my lumbar spine. After the third set, the relief lasted for a month. I did not get the epidurals again as you can only get a certain amount per year and they didn't help much the first time. I went a head and had radio frequency ablation instead and so far that's working.

[Dr Sharma]

Hi there. The rationale behind the corticosteroid injection into the epidural space is the anti-inflammatory effect, by inhibiting phospholipase A2 activity, which reduces the inflammation in the nerve roots. Steroids also affect cell mediated activity and cytokines involved in the radicular pain. They stabilize nerve membranes inhibiting ectopic impulses etc. there have been clinical studies supporting the use of cervical epidural steroid injections for cervical radicular pain. These should be performed under fluoroscopy to decrease the risk of serious complications and to ensure appropriate delivery of medication into epidural space. These would need to be repeated after few weeks or months and the effects do not last forever. Hope this helps. Take care.

[banshe]

i have 4 herniated dics in my neck at c3-4,c4-5,c5-6 and c6-7 and yes he used the flourscope to guide him,doc just called and said if pain isnt any better he can do a blood patch but if i feel a little better each day we should just way and see,i also have degerantive dics diesease

[banshe]

doctor is doing a transformail injection on each side ofmy neck where the disc are the worse at c4-5 i just feel constant pain,dull and achy all the time. i am a C.N.A /floor supervisor so i constantly on my feet and at the computers all night

[banshe]

well the injection are not working,pain doctor says i need to go back to neurosurgeon.i told him it felt like something was trying to pop out of my neck and tingling don shoulders and both arms i am so frustratd.also pain doctor couldnt do the transformainl he kept hitting vein on right side of my neck even with the flourscop on ,what should i except the neurosurgeon would do now what other options are out there i couldnt even go to work yesterday