Lumbar epidural steroid injection

WHAT IS IT?

The epidural space is the space around the spinal cord that nerves and blood vessels pass through as the enter and leave the spinal column and runs from the top of the spine to the bottom. The lumbar epidural space is located in the low back from the lower rib to the tailbone. Sometimes, low back pain and leg pain comes from this lumbar area, and the lumbar epidural steroid injection is used to diagnose and treat this pain. The physician will inject a local anesthetic, sometimes with steroid for anti-inflammation, after numbing the skin and using x-ray to verify the needle location. 

WHAT ARE THE RISKS?

There is some risk of blood vessels damage, bleeding, infection, allergic reactions, and side effects from the medication. Rare but serious risks include damage to a spinal nerve and intra-spinal injection.