Epidural Steroid Injection

I'm going in this Thursday to have an injection into my spine to treat a degenerated disc in my back. Has anyone else had this done before? I'm not too sure what to expect.

Had many (countless). Piece of cake, they are usually done at your local hospital so the Dr. that does these injections all day can watch the x-ray machine while inserting the needle to give you the injection in the proper location/vertebrae, no guess work.(However, some Dr's/Pain management offices can do them in house).

Just keep in mind as some get temporary relief some even longer relief, some get none at all. It's just a band aid on the problem, it will not repair a degenerated disc just help with the pain if your lucky. Surgery was the answer for me and now has come leaps and bounds, and talk to your Dr. about a long term real fix to the problem I'm quite sure this will be next in line.

Side note: Many years ago, you could only get three injections a year. I would get those in the first three months. If it gets bad enough you will welcome surgery and never feel better, at least those where my results.

I'm going in this Thursday to have an injection into my spine to treat a degenerated disc in my back. Has anyone else had this done before? I'm not too sure what to expect.

That doesn't sound too fun....

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll143/nevahascards/do-not-want-dog.jpg

Had many (countless). Piece of cake, they are usually done at your local hospital so the Dr. that does these injections all day can watch the x-ray machine while inserting the needle to give you the injection in the proper location/vertebrae, no guess work.(However, some Dr's/Pain management offices can do them in house).

Just keep in mind as some get temporary relief some even longer relief, some get none at all. It's just a band aid on the problem, it will not repair a degenerated disc just help with the pain if your lucky. Surgery was the answer for me and now has come leaps and bounds, and talk to your Dr. about a long term real fix to the problem I'm quite sure this will be next in line.

Side note: Many years ago, you could only get three injections a year. I would get those in the first three months. If it gets bad enough you will welcome surgery and never feel better, at least those where my results.

Thats kinda what the doctors said. They scheduled me for this first visit and if I feel some relief they're going to give me two more within the next month or so. I guess I'll see how this goes, but eventually I'm sure I'll have to have some sort of surgery. I'm only 25 so having this type of problem this soon is kinda a bummer, but I'm getting a new position at work since I'm on restrictions and more than likely will have difficulty doing my job from this point on. (I'm an welder for an oilfield equipment company and had the injury on the job.) What type of surgery did they do to you if you don't mind me asking?

sucks to hear that :/ best of luck though.

sucks to hear that :/ best of luck though.

Thanks, I'll update as soon as the sedatives wear off. lol.

Thanks, I'll update as soon as the sedatives wear off. lol.

sounds... awesome...

I've had 2 series of 3 injections and had no luck with them. Both times I wound up in the hospital because they made me worse. I was 32 when I first got hurt and now I am 35.

They offered me surgery but didn't recommend it because of my age and you are younger then me. I am against the surgery and will only have it if it is the choice between that and a wheelchair. I have a total of 9 discs that are shot. The doctors said I have the back of a 90 year old. I have been through everything except for surgery. The only thing that has helped me is an inversion table. It has brought me back to almost a full life. If you can get a doctor to say you need the table, worker's comp will have to pay for it.

I forgot to add that once you have any type of fusion surgery, you can no longer use an inversion table. Try out one of the tables before you have anything major done to your back.

I've had 2 series of 3 injections and had no luck with them. Both times I wound up in the hospital because they made me worse. I was 32 when I first got hurt and now I am 35.

They offered me surgery but didn't recommend it because of my age and you are younger then me. I am against the surgery and will only have it if it is the choice between that and a wheelchair. I have a total of 9 discs that are shot. The doctors said I have the back of a 90 year old. I have been through everything except for surgery. The only thing that has helped me is an inversion table. It has brought me back to almost a full life. If you can get a doctor to say you need the table, worker's comp will have to pay for it.

I forgot to add that once you have any type of fusion surgery, you can no longer use an inversion table. Try out one of the tables before you have anything major done to your back.

I was diagnoed w/ Deg. Disk Disorder about 7 years ago and i'm 35 now. At the time, the Dr's were kind of shocked and said too that i had the back of a 90 year old. I have some scoliosis as well. I'm in pretty good shape but still am bother by my back almost constantly. I basically don't disks in my lower back (the lowest 3). I was told too that surgery is not an option right now. I was told that there was nothing to do but live w/ it.

Can you give me some details of the inversion table?

RISkinsFan doesn't post enough to be able to post links :spank:, but I'm his girlfriend so I'll post it for him.

Teeter Hang Ups - Inversion Products - Inversion Tables (http://www.teeterhangups.com/home.html)

This site also has more medical information as well as statistics:

Using Your EP-550 Inversion Table (http://www.energycenter.com/)

He has the F7000 model, which is the one shown on the homepage. He researched inversion for a year before getting the table and Teeter has the best reputation that he's found. The website pretty much explains everything so I won't get into how it works.

I will say this though. He uses it everyday and 90% of the time it relieves a great deal of his pain.

Cortisone was horrible for him. It put him in the hospital every time and once, emergency surgery was even considered as a result. I'm not saying don't have the shots. I'm simply saying what happened to him. You know your body better than anyone, so do what you think is best.