Nerve root block?

[Trovatello]

One of the options to treat my now diagnosed spinal stenosis and sciatica is a steroid injection. Is there any contraindication being on 2 mg pred? Any experience of this injection?

[piglette]

Pred is a steroid, so no contra indication. You should be OK having steroid injections, but they are limiting the number you can have in the same area per year nowadays. I was not offered steroid injections for sciatica, but found exercises helped, none of the tablets I tried were any good though. I found the injections worked best when I hurt my back. They were useless for shoulder pain in my case. A doctor friend of mine thinks he is a whizz kid at steroid injections as if you don’t get them exactly right they don’t work very well or not at all.

[Polygolfer]

hello! It’s a different kind of steroid but when you discuss the injection with your doctor you should disclose what medications you are taking, steroids and all others!

[Daffodilia]

Walking, Pilates and ice pack worked best for sciatica for me and not sitting too long. Good Luck

[Pixix]

Yes, Ihave multiple steroid injections each year…for different conditions…sciatica, broken Coccyx, osteoarthritis etc. They have varied amounts of success…sometimes 3 weeks of help & easing of pain, sometimes 3 months. But always helpful. There’s a limit to how many you can have, or I think I’d be having more!! Think the exercises & heat help sciatica more than the injections, but that’s just personal history!!

[S4ndy]

Hi, over the years I've had steroid injections into my right shoulder, Acromiun Clavicular joint. I've had varying degrees of relief. Usually 6 months or so. However, one doctor "missed" the spot and that was useless. I no longer need those injections as now I do not work I am not putting the repetitive strain on that joint. It's arthritic now but I don't notice it much anymore.

I've got arthritis in both knees and my Orthopaedic surgeon offered me steroid injections if I needed them. I haven't taken him up on the offer as yet.

As for spinal injections, have no experience of them. In 2021 following severe pain and numbness in my back and left leg I had MRI. This showed some prolapses (3 in total, 2 old and 1 new) and compression of some spinal nerves. Also lots of osteophytes and spinal Stenosis. I saw a Neurosurgeon who sent me for nerve conduction tests. The tests indicated 4 areas of nerve compression and some existing nerve damage. My surgeon said that injections would be a waste of time and went straight to decompression of the nerves. He said he could only do 2 at once. So he picked the worse 2 and I had that operation last year. It was very successful. We have decided to leave the other two areas alone as these are not causing the trouble that the others were. He has said he will do the other two if I become symptomatic. I should point out that I had the spinal surgery done privately. I kept my private medical insurance from a previous employment and so glad I did. I am still on the NHS waiting list to see a Neurosurgeon!

My friend recently had some done under sedation and x-ray guided. She said they helped for about 3 months but her pain is coming back now.

It seems a very individual thing with steroids injections. Hope you get some relief from them.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

As this article from Spire Health explains it all depends on how severe the stenosis is:

spirehealthcare.com/conditi...

Steroid injections are probably used for patients in early stages to delay surgery - but how well they work can be very variable and depend on the stage the compression is at. As S4ndy says - there is a point at which they will be a waste of resources and achieve nothing.

[sidra1968]

Should be fine, I get them a lot ..even when I was on 25 mg I got one. Hope it helps you!

[Carathedog]

I agree re steroid injections, if they miss the spot, they are useless, and in my case, will only do every six months or so