My brother has had lower back pain for several years. Following a fall on the ice this winter, it got really bad and he went for an MRI which disclosed degenerative disc disease and a condition called stenosis. The doc referred him to the pain clinic at our local hospital and he's having a consultation with the doc there next week. This pain doc is strongly recommending epidural steroid shots, but from what I've read, they only work about 50% of the time. Also, I've read that there can be long-lasting side effects to these steroid shots. Some people have even said they would never take them. Anyone ever have these shots? Can you suggest some questions to ask the doctor about them and any other pain management options? Thanks!Do the epidural steroid injections hinder your ability to walk at all? I had an epidural during childbirth and I couldn't feel anything from waist down for hours!

What is an Epidural Steroid Injection?Epidural Steroid Injection is an injection of long lasting steroid ("cortisone") in the Epidural space – that is the area which surrounds the spinal cord and the nerves coming out of it.What is the purpose of it?The steroid injected reduces the inflammation and/or swelling of nerves in the Epidural space. This may in turn reduce pain, tingling & numbness and other symptoms caused by nerve inflammation / irritation or swelling.How long does the injection take? The actual injection takes only a few minutes.What is actually injected?The injection consists of a mixture of local anesthetic (like lidocaine or bupivacaine) and the steroid medication (triamcinolone – Aristocort® or methylprednisolone – Depo-medrol®, Celestone-Soluspan).































reddinganesthesia.com

The most common domestic applications of a memory foam are memory foam mattresses, memory foam pillows and memory foam mattress toppers (also known as memory foam mattress pads). memory foam mattress remains useful in medical-related uses, such as wheelchair with memory foam seat cushions, memory foam hospital bed pillows, and memory foam padding for persons suffering long-term pain or postural problems; for example, a memory foam cervical pillow may alleviate chronic neck pain. Its heat-retaining properties are also helpful to some pain sufferers, who find the added warmth helps alleviate pain.