PainCare Florida Physicians

Caudal Epidural Steroid Injection

PAIN TREATMENT

Caudal Epidurals: Pain Management

Living with chronic pain can make it difficult to maintain daily life, including work and social activities. Some treatments can help make your pain more manageable, like the caudal epidural steroid injection (CESI or caudal ESI). This type of injection therapy is used to manage and relieve lower back and leg pain. “Caudal” means “toward the tail” and refers to the caudal canal, which is at the very bottom of your spine, near the tailbone.[1] Steroid medication injected into this epidural space significantly reduces pain and inflammation.[2] It’s a go-to treatment for patients whose pain hasn’t responded to traditional methods but who would prefer to avoid or delay surgery.

If you’re curious about how caudal epidural steroid injections work and whether it might be right for you, read on.

How Caudal Epidurals Work

The injection process begins with a mixture of a corticosteroid and a local anesthetic.[3] The corticosteroid reduces inflammation, and the anesthetic offers immediate pain relief, making the procedure more comfortable.[3]The steroid helps reduce pain by blocking nerve signals sent to the brain from inflamed, irritated or compressed nerves.[3]

The injection goes into the lower part of your spine, near your coccyx, into the epidural space that acts like a sleeve around your spinal nerves.[4] These nerves connect to your lower limbs, and if they are inflamed, your legs or back may hurt. [4]

During your caudal ESI, you’ll lay face down on the table. Numbing medication applied to the injection site will ensure you don’t feel the procedure. The needle is introduced to your caudal epidural space using guided imagery and the corticosteroid and anesthetic mixture is slowly injected.[4] This is an outpatient procedure, but you’ll need a driver to bring you home.[4]

Conditions Treated with Caudal Steroid Injections

Pain management specialists use CESI to treat acute and chronic pain conditions, including:

  • Lower back pain [3]
  • Sciatica [4]
  • Herniated discs [4]
  • Degenerative disc disease [4]
  • Spinal stenosis [4]
  • Radiculopathy (nerve pain) [4]
  • Failed back syndrome or post-laminectomy syndrome [4]
  • Post-surgery back pain [5]
  • Sacroiliac joint pain[6]

Benefits of Caudal Epidural Injections

Caudal epidural steroid injections offer several benefits for pain management patients. Injections are minimally invasive, and unlike surgery, there are no incisions or prolonged recovery times. The procedure itself is relatively quick, often completed within 30 minutes. Caudal injections offer significant pain reduction, with some patients experiencing immediate relief while others find relief in the days to follow. CESI is an outpatient procedure, so you can go home with minimal downtime.

Caudal Injection Specialists & Pain Management Clinics

Caudal injections offer patients an effective pain management treatment. Their targeted steroid shots help reduce pain and increase function without surgery. With pain levels decreasing, you may be able to manage complementary treatments such as physical therapy.

Choosing the right specialiast for caudal epidural steroid injection is essential in ensuring the best possible outcome. Experts in guided imagery injections ensures the procedure is done properly to minimize the risk of complications. Reputable pain management clinics are equipped with the latest technology and staffed by experienced medial teams who offer comprehensive pain management programs. Pain management clinics offer access to a range of services for a holistic approach to back pain.

If you feel caudal steroid injections are right for you, talk to your healthcare team. With a reputable clinic and caring specialists, you’ll receive the care and support you need to get back to enjoying life with less pain.

Resources:

  1. Caudal – e-Anatomy. IMAIOS [Internet]. Accessed July 05, 2024. Available from: https://www.imaios.com/en/e-anatomy/anatomical-structure/caudal-1536887448
    Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injections: What It Is, Benefits, Risks & Side Effects. Cleveland Clinic [Internet]. Accessed July 05, 2024. Available from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/22091-lumbar-epidural-steroid-injection
    Staehler R. How Epidural Steroid Injections Work. Spine-health [Internet]. Published 2019. Updated October 22, 2022. Accessed July 05, 2024. Available from: https://www.spine-health.com/treatment/injections/how-epidural-steroid-injections-work
    Caudal Injection: Steroid Injection, Epidural Injection & Back Pain Relief. Cleveland Clinic [Internet]. Accessed July 05, 2024. Available from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/16852-caudal-injection
    Manchikanti L, Singh V, Cash KA, Pampati V, Datta S. Management of pain of post lumbar surgery syndrome: one-year results of a randomized, double-blind, active controlled trial of fluoroscopic caudal epidural injections. Pain Physician [Internet]. 2010;13(6):509-521. Accessed July 05, 2024. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21102963/
    Funiciello M, DO, Peer-Reviewed P. Sacroiliac (SI) Joint Injections. Spine-health [Internet]. Accessed July 05, 2024. Available from: https://www.spine-health.com/treatment/injections/sacroiliac-si-joint-injections
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