How Long Do Epidural Steroid Injections For Sciatica Last

Epidural steroid injections for sciatica are often a great way to reduce or even completely block sciatica pain. This helps you go back to your daily activities. The biggest question most patients have is how long do these injections last? 

Before going through with any treatment for sciatica pain, it’s a good idea to fully understand how well the treatment will work for you. However, more conservative measures, such as injections, are a safer way to treat the pain. This less invasive approach helps you get back to your normal routine faster.

SCIATICA RELIEF LENGTH VARIES

Every patient is different, which means how they react to epidural steroid injections for sciatica differ as well. While some patients respond very well, others experience little to no relief. This is why it’s important to consult with your doctor to determine if your sciatica pain could be lessened, even temporarily, with epidural steroid injections.

Depending on the patient, injections can last anywhere from a week to a year. However, you shouldn’t have steroid injections too frequently in the same area to prevent damage to the nerves and surrounding tissues. 

If you experience pain relief in your lower back and legs, your doctor will determine the best schedule to maintain relief without any dangerous side effects.

LEVEL OF RELIEF

Epidural steroid injections may be enough on their own to reduce your sciatica pain levels enough for you to resume normal activities. However, this isn’t the case for everyone.Sciatica pain can stop you from doing the things you enjoy. Learn how long epidural steroid injections for sciatica last so you can live with less pain.

Oftentimes, the injections help relieve the pain enough to reduce your dependence on pain medications, allowing you to use less addictive OTC pain medications along with your injections. The idea is to help you create a better pain management strategy.

It’s important to tell your doctor exactly how much relief you feel. The full effects of the injection won’t be obvious for up to two days. Even though you’ll feel better immediately, this is due to local anesthetics, which wear off quickly. The injection takes one to two days to fully take effect. 

PART OF A LARGER STRATEGY

While some people do use epidural steroid injections for sciatica as their main treatment strategy, many others use the injections as part of a larger strategy to reduce and prevent their pain. Since the injections don’t last forever, you’ll need to consult with your doctor to create the right schedule for you. 

If the injections are wearing off too quickly, you may be able to extend their effectiveness without stronger pain medications through rehabilitation programs. Physical therapy is often one of the best treatments for sciatica.

However, you might feel like any type of physical activity is impossible when you’re dealing with sciatica pain. Your legs ache, feel numb/tingly and hurt to simply walk. Your lower back makes it difficult to bend, sit and move normally. This is why many people dealing with sciatica don’t turn to exercise as an effective solution to their pain.

Using epidural steroid injections helps you feel better so you can exercise. The combination of the injections and the right exercises helps your pain stay away much longer. Typically, an exercise routine that focuses on lower back stretches and mild strength training works best. Strengthening your hip and core muscles helps ease the pressure on the sciatic nerve. 

Consult your physical therapist to devise the right exercise plan for your needs. The last thing you want is something too strenuous that hurts your lower back. However, with injections and exercise, your sciatica pain won’t impact your daily life like it used to.

Our doctors will help you figure out if epidural steroid injections are right for your sciatica pain. Stop letting the pain keep you from living your best life. Contact Integrated Pain Consultants at (480) 626-2552 to schedule a consultation today.