Steroid Injections Cape Town
Epidural Injections and Selective Nerve Root Blocks
An epidural steroid injection (ESI) is performed to reduce pain of spinal origin, that results in leg or arm pain. The pain relief from an ESI is of variable duration depending on the cause of the pain. Another benefit of the ESl is to provide sufficient pain relief to allow a patient to progress with their rehabilitation program while being pain free.
An ESI differs from a selective root block in that the root block is used to manage spinal pain where the spinal nerve is trapped after exiting the bony spine. An ESI will not deliver the chosen medication outside of the spinal canal. A selective root block is performed in the radiology suite using either fluoroscopy or a CT scan.
Both procedures are performed on an out-patient basis and do not require hospitalisation. The medication used includes a type of cortisone and a local anaesthetic.
