---
title: "Epidural Steroid Injections"
---
## What an Epidural Steroid Injection Does
An epidural steroid injection delivers a powerful anti-inflammatory medication directly to the source of nerve pain in your spine. The medication is placed in the epidural space, the area immediately surrounding your spinal nerves, where inflammation from a herniated disc, arthritis, or other spinal condition is irritating the nerve and causing pain.
Because the medication goes directly to the inflamed area, the dose required is far smaller than what you would need to take orally to achieve the same anti-inflammatory effect at the nerve. This is why an injection often produces meaningful relief that pills cannot.
The procedure does not address the underlying anatomical cause of your pain. It addresses the inflammation that the underlying cause is producing. For many patients, that inflammation is the actual source of their daily symptoms, and reducing it produces real relief that lasts months at a time.
## How the Procedure Works
The injection is performed in our affiliated surgical suite under fluoroscopic guidance with an imaging specialist. The physician uses real-time imaging to confirm precise needle placement before any medication is delivered. Spinal injections without image guidance carry meaningfully higher risk and lower accuracy.
You are positioned comfortably, and the injection site is cleaned and numbed with a local anesthetic. The physician advances a thin needle to the epidural space, confirms position with imaging, and delivers a combination of corticosteroid and local anesthetic. The procedure typically takes about 20 minutes, depending on the levels treated and what is being performed.
PHI offers a range of comfort options, from local anesthetic to nitrous oxide, conscious sedation (Versed), or deep sedation (Propofol). You leave the same day; patients who receive only local anesthetic typically drive themselves home, while patients who receive sedation arrange transportation.
## Three Regions We Treat
## When Epidural Steroid Injections Are the Right Option
Your physician will tell you which category you fall into during consultation. Some patients arrive for an injection consultation and leave with a different recommendation, including facet injections, radiofrequency ablation, or a regenerative protocol. That is the point of an evaluation.
## Why Patients Choose PHI for Epidural Steroid Injections
## What to Expect: Before, During, and After
## Frequently Asked Questions
**Q: How long does the relief last?**
Duration varies widely. Some patients experience months of relief from a single injection. Others find injections are part of a longer-term plan with periodic repeat doses. Patients with newer pain generally have better and longer-lasting responses than patients with pain present for a year or more.
**Q: Will I be awake during the procedure?**
It depends on the option you choose. PHI offers local anesthetic, nitrous oxide, conscious sedation (Versed), and deep sedation (Propofol). Your physician helps you choose the right level of comfort for your procedure.
**Q: Is the injection painful?**
Most patients describe the procedure as briefly uncomfortable rather than painful. The local anesthetic numbs the skin and tissue along the needle path. The most noticeable sensation is usually a sense of pressure when the medication is delivered.
**Q: Will I be able to drive home?**
If you receive only local anesthetic, most patients drive themselves home. If you receive any sedation, arrange transportation, as you should not drive the same day.
**Q: What are the risks?**
Epidural steroid injections are well-established procedures with a strong safety profile when performed under image guidance. Risks include temporary increase in pain, headache (especially with cervical injections), bleeding or infection at the injection site, and rare complications related to inadvertent intravascular injection. Image guidance significantly reduces these risks. Your physician will review the full risk profile at consultation.
**Q: Can I have an epidural injection if I am on blood thinners?**
It depends on the specific medication. Some blood thinners must be paused before the procedure; others, including aspirin in some doses, can typically be continued. Your physician will review your medications at consultation and provide specific instructions.
**Q: What is the difference between an epidural injection and a facet injection?**
An epidural injection treats nerve pain that radiates from your spine into an arm or leg. A facet injection treats pain coming from the small joints between your vertebrae, which is usually felt locally in the spine itself. Your physician will recommend which one fits based on your symptom pattern and imaging.
**Q: How is an epidural injection different from radiofrequency ablation?**
An epidural injection reduces inflammation around an irritated nerve and provides relief for several months. Radiofrequency ablation interrupts the pain signal from a specific nerve for longer-lasting relief, typically 6 to 18 months, but it is appropriate for different pain patterns, most often facet-mediated pain rather than radiating nerve pain.
**Q: What if the injection does not help?**
If a properly placed epidural injection does not produce meaningful relief, this is diagnostic information. It tells your physician that inflammation around the nerve is likely not the primary driver of your pain. The next step is usually to revisit imaging and consider a different approach, including facet injections, radiofrequency ablation, regenerative options, or surgical evaluation in selected cases.
**Q: How much does an epidural steroid injection cost at PHI?**
Insurance coverage and payment options may vary. All pricing is disclosed at consultation.
**Q: Do you accept international patients?**
Yes. PHI regularly treats patients from outside Los Angeles, including Las Vegas, Palm Springs, London, and other international locations. For patients traveling specifically for an epidural steroid injection, we coordinate consultation, imaging review, and procedure scheduling within a single visit when possible.
> Epidural steroids for cervical and lumbar radicular pain and spinal stenosis: systematic review summary. Peer-reviewed via PMC, 2022.
— [American Academy of Neurology Guidelines Subcommittee](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12289388/)
> Epidural injections for lumbar radiculopathy or sciatica: a comparative systematic review and meta-analysis. Peer-reviewed via PubMed, 2021.
— [Manchikanti L, et al.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34323441/)
> Epidural Steroid Injections. StatPearls, peer-reviewed via NIH/NCBI.
— [StatPearls (NIH/NCBI Bookshelf)](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470189/)
```ld+json
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@graph": [
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Service",
"@id": "https://painandhealing.com/treatments/epidural-steroid-injections/#service",
"name": "Epidural Steroid Injections",
"url": "https://painandhealing.com/treatments/epidural-steroid-injections/",
"description": "Image-guided injections that place anti-inflammatory medication directly around an irritated spinal nerve to relieve radiating pain in the neck, mid-back, or lower back, performed by board-certified pain physicians.",
"provider": {
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "PHI - Pain and Healing Institute"
},
"image": {
"@type": "ImageObject",
"contentUrl": "https://painandhealing.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/epidural-steroid-injection-hero-1024x682.webp",
"width": 1024,
"height": 682,
"caption": "Shot of epidural steroid injection being performed"
}
},
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "MedicalProcedure",
"@id": "https://painandhealing.com/treatments/epidural-steroid-injections/#procedure",
"name": "Epidural Steroid Injections",
"url": "https://painandhealing.com/treatments/epidural-steroid-injections/",
"image": {
"@type": "ImageObject",
"contentUrl": "https://painandhealing.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/epidural-steroid-injection-hero-1024x682.webp",
"width": 1024,
"height": 682,
"caption": "Shot of epidural steroid injection being performed"
}
},
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "MedicalWebPage",
"@id": "https://painandhealing.com/treatments/epidural-steroid-injections/#webpage",
"name": "Epidural Steroid Injections",
"url": "https://painandhealing.com/treatments/epidural-steroid-injections/",
"mainEntity": {
"@id": "https://painandhealing.com/treatments/epidural-steroid-injections/#service"
},
"lastReviewed": "2026-06-09",
"reviewedBy": [
{
"@type": "Person",
"@id": "https://painandhealing.com/providers/faisal-lalani/#provider",
"name": "Faisal Lalani",
"url": "https://painandhealing.com/providers/faisal-lalani/"
},
{
"@type": "Person",
"@id": "https://painandhealing.com/providers/nadiv-y-samimi/#provider",
"name": "Nadiv Y. Samimi",
"url": "https://painandhealing.com/providers/nadiv-y-samimi/"
}
],
"mentions": [
{
"@type": "MedicalCondition",
"name": "Spinal disc herniation",
"sameAs": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q697117"
},
{
"@type": "MedicalCondition",
"name": "Spinal stenosis",
"sameAs": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1478321"
},
{
"@type": "MedicalCondition",
"name": "Degenerative disc disease",
"sameAs": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11773731"
},
{
"@type": "AnatomicalStructure",
"name": "Spinal nerve",
"sameAs": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q937076"
},
{
"@type": "AnatomicalStructure",
"name": "Intervertebral disc",
"sameAs": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q502781"
},
{
"@type": "Drug",
"name": "Corticosteroid",
"sameAs": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q210420"
},
{
"@type": "Drug",
"name": "Local anesthetic",
"sameAs": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1868462"
}
],
"about": [
{
"@type": "MedicalProcedure",
"name": "Epidural steroid injection",
"sameAs": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5382872"
},
{
"@type": "MedicalCondition",
"name": "Sciatica",
"sameAs": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q565276"
},
{
"@type": "MedicalCondition",
"name": "Radiculopathy",
"sameAs": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q175180"
},
{
"@type": "MedicalSpecialty",
"name": "Pain Management",
"sameAs": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q621261"
}
],
"speakable": {
"@type": "SpeakableSpecification",
"cssSelector": [
".geo-summary"
]
},
"citation": [
{
"@id": "https://painandhealing.com/treatments/epidural-steroid-injections/#citation-e1f938f2"
},
{
"@id": "https://painandhealing.com/treatments/epidural-steroid-injections/#citation-44b9050a"
},
{
"@id": "https://painandhealing.com/treatments/epidural-steroid-injections/#citation-314818bb"
}
]
},
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "BreadcrumbList",
"itemListElement": [
{
"@type": "ListItem",
"position": 1,
"name": "Home",
"item": {
"@id": "https://painandhealing.com/",
"@type": "WebSite",
"name": "Home"
}
},
{
"@type": "ListItem",
"position": 2,
"name": "Treatments",
"item": {
"@id": "https://painandhealing.com/treatments/",
"@type": "CollectionPage",
"name": "Treatments"
}
},
{
"@type": "ListItem",
"position": 3,
"name": "Epidural Steroid Injections",
"item": "https://painandhealing.com/treatments/epidural-steroid-injections/"
}
]
},
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Question",
"name": "Epidural Steroid Injections",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "Epidural steroid injections at PHI are performed by board-certified physicians Dr. Faisal Lalani and Dr. Nadiv Samimi in our affiliated surgical suite under fluoroscopic guidance. They treat radiating pain from herniated discs, spinal stenosis, sciatica, and other causes of spinal nerve irritation across the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions."
},
"isPartOf": {
"@id": "https://painandhealing.com/treatments/epidural-steroid-injections/#webpage"
},
"url": "https://painandhealing.com/treatments/epidural-steroid-injections/"
},
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "FAQPage",
"mainEntity": [
{
"@type": "Question",
"name": "How long does the relief last?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "Duration varies widely. Some patients experience months of relief from a single injection. Others find injections are part of a longer-term plan with periodic repeat doses. Patients with newer pain generally have better and longer-lasting responses than patients with pain present for a year or more.
"
}
},
{
"@type": "Question",
"name": "Will I be awake during the procedure?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "It depends on the option you choose. PHI offers local anesthetic, nitrous oxide, conscious sedation (Versed), and deep sedation (Propofol). Your physician helps you choose the right level of comfort for your procedure.
"
}
},
{
"@type": "Question",
"name": "Is the injection painful?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "Most patients describe the procedure as briefly uncomfortable rather than painful. The local anesthetic numbs the skin and tissue along the needle path. The most noticeable sensation is usually a sense of pressure when the medication is delivered.
"
}
},
{
"@type": "Question",
"name": "Will I be able to drive home?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "If you receive only local anesthetic, most patients drive themselves home. If you receive any sedation, arrange transportation, as you should not drive the same day.
"
}
},
{
"@type": "Question",
"name": "What are the risks?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "Epidural steroid injections are well-established procedures with a strong safety profile when performed under image guidance. Risks include temporary increase in pain, headache (especially with cervical injections), bleeding or infection at the injection site, and rare complications related to inadvertent intravascular injection. Image guidance significantly reduces these risks. Your physician will review the full risk profile at consultation.
"
}
},
{
"@type": "Question",
"name": "Can I have an epidural injection if I am on blood thinners?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "It depends on the specific medication. Some blood thinners must be paused before the procedure; others, including aspirin in some doses, can typically be continued. Your physician will review your medications at consultation and provide specific instructions.
"
}
},
{
"@type": "Question",
"name": "What is the difference between an epidural injection and a facet injection?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "An epidural injection treats nerve pain that radiates from your spine into an arm or leg. A facet injection treats pain coming from the small joints between your vertebrae, which is usually felt locally in the spine itself. Your physician will recommend which one fits based on your symptom pattern and imaging.
"
}
},
{
"@type": "Question",
"name": "How is an epidural injection different from radiofrequency ablation?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "An epidural injection reduces inflammation around an irritated nerve and provides relief for several months. Radiofrequency ablation interrupts the pain signal from a specific nerve for longer-lasting relief, typically 6 to 18 months, but it is appropriate for different pain patterns, most often facet-mediated pain rather than radiating nerve pain.
"
}
},
{
"@type": "Question",
"name": "What if the injection does not help?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "If a properly placed epidural injection does not produce meaningful relief, this is diagnostic information. It tells your physician that inflammation around the nerve is likely not the primary driver of your pain. The next step is usually to revisit imaging and consider a different approach, including facet injections, radiofrequency ablation, regenerative options, or surgical evaluation in selected cases.
"
}
},
{
"@type": "Question",
"name": "How much does an epidural steroid injection cost at PHI?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "Insurance coverage and payment options may vary. All pricing is disclosed at consultation.
"
}
},
{
"@type": "Question",
"name": "Do you accept international patients?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "Yes. PHI regularly treats patients from outside Los Angeles, including Las Vegas, Palm Springs, London, and other international locations. For patients traveling specifically for an epidural steroid injection, we coordinate consultation, imaging review, and procedure scheduling within a single visit when possible.
"
}
}
]
},
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "ScholarlyArticle",
"@id": "https://painandhealing.com/treatments/epidural-steroid-injections/#citation-e1f938f2",
"name": "American Academy of Neurology Guidelines Subcommittee",
"url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12289388/"
},
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "ScholarlyArticle",
"@id": "https://painandhealing.com/treatments/epidural-steroid-injections/#citation-44b9050a",
"name": "Manchikanti L, et al.",
"url": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34323441/"
},
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"@id": "https://painandhealing.com/treatments/epidural-steroid-injections/#citation-314818bb",
"name": "StatPearls (NIH/NCBI Bookshelf)",
"url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470189/"
}
]
}
```