Spinal Injections
Posted on: Mon, 08/18/2008 - 16:38
Future injections?

Okay so if the first cervical epidural didn't work (I'm talking 0 days of pain relief), do docs usually push for a second one or would they try something else? Thinking


Posted on: Mon, 08/18/2008 - 21:27 #1
All Docs

are different but I have seen people get more than 1 even if the first did not work because sometimes it takes a couple of injections to get relief. My doc did not. The first one gave me maybe 3 weeks worth of relief and we did no more. Good luck and keep us posted.

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I am in no way associated with the medical field. Anything that I post comes from personal experience only.
DDD, Facet Arthropathy, DJD, Sleep Apnea
PT, Epidurals, Facet Blocks,Medial Branch Block, Rhizotomy,Discogram,Annular Tare L3/L4 Endoscopic Microdiscectomy,Laser Surgery
Methadone, Percocet, Soma, Welbutrin

Posted on: Thu, 08/21/2008 - 16:48 #2
Future injections

Hi Angela, a lot of doctors who administer the ESI's do three shots.

I had a lumbar injection. I got some relief 4 days after the injection and then I got about a week of relief.

I went back and the doctor tried a pulsed radio frequency which really hur and made my pain worse.

Then I had a third lumbar shot 5-6 weeks ago and I am still having great relief.

The point being is that it may not be the first shot that brings the relief so it is always worth at least one more try!

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Cervical myelopathy, 15 surgeries to date, Severe OA, bilateral knee replacements, DDD, 13 MRI’s, 4 sets of spinal cortisone procedures and dozens of cortisone shots in other areas for OA. Upcoming scheduled surgeries include laminectomy and removal of synovial cyst located at left facet joint of L4-L5 (may require fusion); Right resection of A-C joint (left was done 12 years ago, by far the most painful of all my surgeries)

Posted on: Thu, 08/21/2008 - 21:14 #3
Paul

thanks for the reply. I actually had a follow up this afternoon and told her I got absolutely no relief from it. She said she wouldn't recommend a second one. Now it's back to PT this time for my neck and not so much the shoulder, massage therapy and muscle relaxers to try. Hopefully the combo of the three will help.