An epidural injection is the administration of medications into the epidural space. It is used to treat swelling, pain, and inflammation of the nerve roots, associated with herniated discs and radiculopathy (nerve irritation or injury). The medications used are steroid, which is anti-inflammatory, and numbing medications (local anesthetics).
After the treatment, some patients notice improvement within hours of the injection; others improve over a number of days; and others experience no improvement with the treatment. In some cases, two or three injections are given over weeks or months.
Complications that could result from an epidural injection are rare but can occur. Possible conditions that may develop following the procedure include infection (e.g., epidural abscess), bleeding into the epidural space, and headache caused by a cerebrospinal fluid leak.