A 36-year-old member asked:
how long does it usually take for an epidural steroid injection to alleviate the pain of a herniated disk?
5 doctor answers • 22 doctors weighed in
Dr. Sharad Rajpal answered
Neurosurgery 19 years experience
Depends: Epidural injections can be done with a variety of medications, including steroids and/or local anesthetic. Some people have instant benefit, whereas others develop an improvement over some time (potentially up to 2 weeks before getting relief). Part of this is due to the medication "cocktail" used and the pathology of the area.
5748 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Thomas Dowling answered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 40 years experience
Immediate to never: There can be a wide variation on the response to this injection & symptom relief. First, it works best for radicular pain & when the needle is guided under fluoroscopy as there can be up to a 30% miss rate if not done that way. For some, there is immediate relief while for others it may take a few days if at all & may even require a series of 3 injections. Overall, there is about a 50% success.
5590 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Brian Le answered
Pain Management 17 years experience
Steroid injection: It usually takes a few days for the steroid to be effective. There is a wide variation on the response to this injection & symptom relief. The duration of relief also varies.
4920 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Qamar Khan answered
Pain Management 17 years experience
A few days: up to 2 weeks in some people. If you haven't had even a little relief after 2 weeks, likely a different treatment may be needed. If you got some relief, a second epidural can be even more helpful.
3880 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Diane Minich answered
Family Medicine 37 years experience
3-14 days: If no effect after 14 days then discuss other options with your doctor.
3880 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions or offer you advice, prescriptions, and more. Get help now:
90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions or offer you advice, prescriptions, and more. Get help now:
Last updated Nov 17, 2019
People also asked
Connect with a U.S. board-certified doctor by text or video anytime, anywhere.
24/7 visits
$15 per month
Disclaimer:
Content on HealthTap (including answers) should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and interactions on HealthTap do not create a doctor-patient relationship. Never disregard or delay professional medical advice in person because of anything on HealthTap. Call your doctor or 911 if you think you may have a medical emergency.