These comments are made for the purpose of discussion and should NOT be used as recommendations for or against therapies or other treatments. An individual patient is always advised to consult their own physician.
Back Pain
Question: I am taking drugs for lower back pain, due to a worn disk. I have been advised to have an epidural for longer term relief. What are the risks of the epidural?
Answer: Epidural steroid injection of the back is a relatively recent development in treatment of low back pain. The side-effects are usually short-term and involve pain, infection, and ongoing leakage of spinal fluid. Long-term side effects appear fairly rare if any.
Epidural Risks
Question: I am taking Brufen Retard for lower back pain, due to a worn disk. I have been advised to have an epidural for longer term relief, as I am considering starting a family. What are the risks of the epidural ?
Answer: Low back pain is a common problem and unfortunately, has few good treatment options. Initially, anti-inflammatories and physical therapy are used to relieve the pain. If these regimens are insufficient, surgery or injection is the next line of treatment. Usually, surgery is a last resort and only used with clear pressure of the disc on the nerve or nerve root. In the absence of an x-ray showing this I would recommend a trial of an injection. In my experience, this is only a temporary relief and will buy 6-9 months of relief at best. Long term side effects appear minimal if there are only a couple of injections. There is always a risk of infection, leakage of spinal fluid from the injection site and trauma to other nerve roots causing more severe pain.
