Epidural neck-pain steriod injections for pain management

[lansur]

Having endured chronic neck pain for over two years since my C5,6 and C6,7 fusions, my pain doctor, an aneslthesiologist, is recommending epidural injections of steriods in my neck joints to block the pain.  Has anyone ever had these and are there any downsides?

[lansur]

Lansur here again, and I'm just as frustrated as ever!  I had 2 steriod injections which served only to give me a rash of pimples.  Two weeks ago I had a left side Cervical Facet Block injection. 1 week later, last Friday, I had my right side done. I am told this was to determine if I was a candidate for RFL 'radio frequency lesioning' which is yet another procedure to stop pain travelling along 1 of the main nerves to the neck.  (That procedure would have to be repeated 2 or 3 times a year.  There is a small chance it will never have to be repeated.)  Well, my neck pain seems to have diminished quite a bit, but, the pain seems to have intensified in the area of my upper thoracic spine.  This could be 'referred pain' but, who knows!!??  I have tried to psych myself into pain-free moments by which I would start to do something more interesting than lying in bed.  But, alas, 1 or 2 hours later, I'm back in bed with my ice packs.  BTW, I am now back on pain killers - 5 mg oxycodone (with 325 mg acetaminophen) up to 5 times a day.  This is a fairly low dosage and, honestly, it doesn't do much at all - except to kill my apetite and bung up my bowels.  So, can you tell me what the prognosis is for RFL, and, if it works, for how long.  And, are there many subjects who report it as a final cure?   I know that my pain pales compared to those who have much more pain to endure - and this is likely a feeling that many others in this forum must have - but, does that mean we should stop trying to better our own lot in life?  
Thank you so much for your time and attention!

[Dr Vinod]

Hello!

Yes, steroid injections can be taken before or after the fusion for pain anywhere in your spinal area. You can take them in your affected cervical region.

Steroid injections act as anti inflammatory agents to control your pain and inflammation.

Take care!