Does a epidural injection for low back pain l5 s1 disk herniated usually help in patients? what is the procedure for having a epidural injection?

Yes: It can work. In my experience 50% of patients do very well and the other half only partially helped.The procedure involves injecting meds in the epidural space which is inside the spinal canal but outside the sac which contains the nerves and spinal fluid, it is done either by feel or using x-ray guidance.

Maybe...: Your response to epidural steroids depends on many factors. Inflammation of nerve roots usually responds much better than mechanical contact/compression of the nerve roots. It is definitely worth a try before considering surgery. Epidural injections are usually administered through the spine at the level of the disc problem or through the tailbone. X-ray flouro must be used for proper placement.

Yes/No: Yes the epidural injection helps most people with documented herniations that are the source of there sciatica type pain. That said the question is how long will you get relief for and there is no real good answer for that. Some people can get relief for months and others it can be days/weeks. We notice most people get relief for a longer time if at least 2 injections are planned.