Cervical epidural steroid injection: Overview
A cervical epidural steroid injection is a shot of medicine in your neck. It can help with pain, tingling, or numbness in your neck or down your arm.
The injection goes into the area around the spinal cord in your neck.
The steroid medicine in the shot may help reduce swelling and pain. Steroids don't always work. When they do, it can take a few days. So your injection may also include a numbing medicine. It works right away for a short time.
Some people get a series of these shots over weeks or months.
What is a cervical epidural steroid injection?
A cervical epidural steroid injection is a shot of medicine into the area around the spinal cord in your neck. You may get it to help with pain, tingling, or numbness in your neck, shoulder, or arm. It may have a steroid to reduce swelling and pain and a local anesthetic to numb the nerves.
What can you expect as you recover from a cervical epidural steroid injection?
If your injection included local anesthetic medicine, your neck, shoulder, arm, or hand may feel heavy or numb right after the shot.
With a local anesthetic, your pain may be gone right away. But it may return after a few hours. This is because the steroid hasn't started working yet. Before the steroid starts to work, your neck, shoulder, or arm may be sore for a few days.
These injections don't always work. When they do, it takes 1 to 5 days. The pain relief can last for several days to a few months or longer.
Some people are dizzy or feel sick to their stomach after getting this shot. These symptoms usually don't last very long.
You may want to do less than normal for a few days. But you may also be able to return to your daily routine.
If your pain is better, you may be able to keep doing your normal activities or physical therapy. But try not to overdo it, even if your pain has improved a lot. If your pain is only a little better or if it comes back, your doctor may want you to get another injection in a few weeks. If your pain has not changed, talk to your doctor about other treatment choices.
After cervical epidural injection: When to call
Call 911 anytime you think you may need emergency care. For example, call if:
- You passed out (lost consciousness).
- You have trouble breathing.
- You are unable to move an arm or a leg at all.
Call your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if:
- You have new or worse symptoms in your arms, legs, chest, belly, or buttocks. Symptoms may include:
- Numbness or tingling.
- Weakness.
- Pain.
- You lose bladder or bowel control.
- You have signs of infection, such as:
- Increased pain, swelling, warmth, or redness.
- Red streaks leading from the area.
- Pus draining from the area.
- A fever.
Watch closely for any changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:
- You do not get better as expected.
After a cervical epidural steroid injection: Overview
During your cervical epidural injection, your doctor injected medicine into the area around the spinal cord in your neck. This is to help with pain, tingling, or numbness in your neck or down your arm.
The steroid medicine in the injection should start to help your pain in 1 to 5 days. Steroids don't always work. When they do work, the pain relief can last for several days to a few months or longer.
Your injection may also have included a numbing medicine that works right away for a short time. Before the steroid starts to work, your neck or arm may be sore for a few days.
How is a cervical epidural steroid injection done?
The doctor will use a tiny needle to numb the skin where you are getting the injection.
After the skin is numb, your doctor will use a larger needle for the epidural injection. X-ray or ultrasound may be used to help guide the needle. You may feel some pressure. But you should not feel pain.
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