Lumbar epidural injections are used not only as a way to relieve severe low back and leg pain, but also as a tool for diagnosing the cause of the pain. We perform the injections ourselves, utilizing an x-ray machine. The procedure is typically performed with minimal discomfort in about five minutes. To relieve or reduce pain caused by spinal inflammation, medicine is injected into the spine at the epidural space, which is the area that surrounds the nerves in the spinal canal. It reduces the swelling and irritation in the area, allowing you to increase back movement and speed the healing process. To use in diagnosing the source of the pain, the medicine is injected into a specific

nerve root, causing it to briefly go numb. This is also called a selective nerve block. At this point, if you feel relief this should indicate the source of the pain. If not, the source is probably at another level of the spine, or is not being caused by inflammation. The results of this nerve block can indicate whether or not surgery would be beneficial to relieve the back and leg pain. For more information about Lumbar Epidural Injections contact Rocky Mountain Associates in Orthopedic Medicine. This column is brought to you weekly as a public service by Rocky Mountain Associates in Orthopedic Medicine.