Cervical epidural steroid injections (CESI) have been utilized for decades in the treatment of radicular pain. This injection relieves pain in the neck, shoulders, and arms caused by a pinched nerve (or nerves) in the cervical spine. Conditions such as herniated discs, spinal stenosis, or radiculopathy can compress nerves, causing inflammation and pain. The medication injected helps decrease the swelling of nerves, which is often the source of the pain.
An epidural steroid injection significantly reduces pain for approximately 50% of patients. It works by delivering steroids directly to the painful area to help decrease the inflammation that may be causing the pain. It is thought that there is also a flushing effect from the injection that helps remove or “flush out” inflammatory proteins from around the structures that may cause pain. In addition to relieving pain, the process of natural healing can occur more quickly once the inflammation is reduced.
Cervical Epidural Steroid Injections can help with:
- Neck pain, or tingling, numbness
- Shoulder pain, or tingling, numbness
- Arm pain, or tingling, numbness
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