Why are epidural steroid injections for back pain limited to only a few a year?

Answer From Richard H. Rho, M.D.

Epidural steroid injections are usually limited to just a few a year because there's a chance these drugs might weaken your spinal bones and nearby muscles. This isn't caused by the needle — it's a possible side effect of steroids.

Steroid injections can also cause other side effects, including skin thinning, loss of color in the skin, facial flushing, insomnia, moodiness and high blood sugar. The risk of side effects increases with the number of steroid injections you receive.

Epidural steroid injections contain drugs that mimic the effects of the hormones cortisone and hydrocortisone. When injected near irritated nerves in your spine, these drugs may temporarily reduce inflammation and help relieve pain.

But steroid injections also disrupt your body's natural hormone balance. Delaying repeat injections allows your body to return to its normal balance.

It's important to carefully weigh the potential risks and benefits of long-term epidural steroid injections. If you're in pain between epidural steroid injections, you might ask your doctor about other treatment options for back pain.

With

Richard H. Rho, M.D.

April 20, 2019 See more Expert Answers

See also

  1. Acupuncture
  2. Acupuncture for back pain?
  3. Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM)
  4. Back pain
  5. Infographic: Back Pain
  6. Back pain management
  7. Back pain relief: Ergonomic chair or fitness ball?
  8. Back pain therapy
  9. Back surgery: When is it a good idea?
  10. Banish back pain
  11. Bone scan
  12. Chiropractic adjustment
  13. Chronic pain: Medication decisions
  14. CT scan
  15. CT scans: Are they safe?
  16. Disk replacement
  17. Diskectomy
  18. Electromyography (EMG)
  19. Exercise and chronic disease
  20. Functional electrical stimulation for spinal cord injury
  21. Integrative approaches to treating pain
  22. Inversion therapy: Can it relieve back pain?
  23. Laminectomy
  24. Leg pain
  25. Leg pain after prolonged standing or sitting
  26. MRI
  27. Muscle pain
  28. Myofascial release therapy: Can it relieve back pain?
  29. Office ergonomics
  30. Prolotherapy: Back pain solution?
  31. Radiofrequency neurotomy
  32. Seeing Inside the Heart with MRI
  33. Good posture tips
  34. Sleeping positions that reduce back pain
  35. Causes of back pain
  36. Back exercises
  37. Proper lifting techniques
  38. Spinal fusion
  39. Spinal injury: First aid
  40. Stress symptoms
  41. Symptom Checker
  42. Tarlov cysts: A cause of low back pain?
  43. Integrative approaches to treating pain
  44. Lifestyle strategies for pain management
  45. Nutrition and pain
  46. Pain rehabilitation
  47. Self-care approaches to treating pain
  48. Treating pain: Conventional medical care
  49. Treating pain: Overview
  50. Understanding pain
  51. Urinalysis
  52. MRI
  53. X-ray