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Have Sciatica. Had Steroid Injections In Lower Back. Had Discectomies. Is It Safe To Take?
I have had for steroid injections in my lower back over two years for sciatica. Ive had two discectomies and now ave scarring conpressing the nerve. Most have Ben successful for about three months. Are they safe to keep having them? I have another one scheduled on October 6th. Any evidence that they soften the scarring as well as reduce pain? Is there a limit to how many it's safe to have?
Mon, 30 Sep 2013
Hi,
There is no maximum number of steroid injections you can receive. However, if you are requiring repeated injections at the same site, it may be appropriate to consider other treatment options.
When injected into a joint, there is a small risk that the cartilage may be become weakened with repeated injections. There is no evidence that they soften the scarring.
Regards,
Dr K A Pottinger
There is no maximum number of steroid injections you can receive. However, if you are requiring repeated injections at the same site, it may be appropriate to consider other treatment options.
When injected into a joint, there is a small risk that the cartilage may be become weakened with repeated injections. There is no evidence that they soften the scarring.
Regards,
Dr K A Pottinger
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Hi, thanks for writing to HCM.
As with all invasive medical procedures, there are potential risks associated with lumbar Epidural Steroid Injections. Generally, there are few risks associated with epidural steroid injections and they tend to be rare. The risks may include infection, nerve damage, bleeding and dural puncture etc.
There is no evidence that the epidural steroid injections will soften the scar tissue, it only resolves the swelling of the nerve root and thereby provide relief of your leg pain.
There is no definitive evidence based data to dictate the frequency of how often a patient should have Epidural Steroid Injections for low back pain and leg pain. In general, it is considered reasonable to perform up to three epidural injections within a six-month period. Typically, Epidural Steroid Injections are done in two-week intervals.
Hope this information is helpful. Good day
As with all invasive medical procedures, there are potential risks associated with lumbar Epidural Steroid Injections. Generally, there are few risks associated with epidural steroid injections and they tend to be rare. The risks may include infection, nerve damage, bleeding and dural puncture etc.
There is no evidence that the epidural steroid injections will soften the scar tissue, it only resolves the swelling of the nerve root and thereby provide relief of your leg pain.
There is no definitive evidence based data to dictate the frequency of how often a patient should have Epidural Steroid Injections for low back pain and leg pain. In general, it is considered reasonable to perform up to three epidural injections within a six-month period. Typically, Epidural Steroid Injections are done in two-week intervals.
Hope this information is helpful. Good day
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