Do epidural injections work for nerve pain?

[SylviaH]

18 months ago I had a replacement knee, something went badly wrong, infection set in, and after intense physiotherapy, I am still in agony most of the time especially at night. I now can no longer bend my knee beyond 70 degrees and am told by my consultant, that I will never be able to as there is too much nerve damage following the surgery. I have been on high doses of morphine since the surgery, also pregabalin, but nothing touches the pain so I am shortly going to have an epidural to see if this helps.

I would like to know from people out there if there is any chance these injections can help with inoperable and untreatable nerve damage? Personally I cannot see how it can work!Knowing that I will always limp is hard to accept.

[Boozybird]

I had a really good result with epidural steroids into my back right onto the nerve. It quietens down the nerve response and gets you going again. Movement begets movement. It didn't have any further benefit when repeated unfortunately but you won't know until you try. Try not to give up. best wishes

[SylviaH]

Thanks Boozybird, I am not holding out much hope as I cannot see how I will get on trying to bend my knee which has permanent damage and scarring, but as you say you don't know till you try, and it might work!

[moggiemay]

Hi Sylvia I am sorry you are having problems with your knee.An Epidural injection is what is given to women in childbirth or for a ceasarian section or some people have this for operations who cannot be put to sleep. The injection is put in beside the Cerebro spinal fluid which bathes the brain and spinal cord and you are then paralysed from the waist down.

I think the procedure you are being offered is an intravevous infusion of lignocaine which is a local anaesthetic and you are monitored all the time the drip is running

I hope it works for you Kind regards Moggiemay

[chelsea67]

Hi Sylvia, I had an epidural injection in my spine 2 weeks ago. It takes a couple of days to get into your system, I can do things now that i couldn't do before because i was in so much pain with my back. I would recommend it to anyone who has got chronic pain, My doctor did say to me though that it could last anything from 1 week to 6 months, and i do know people who it hasn't worked on. My why of thinking is that i would try anything to stop the pain. I hope it works for you x