What are the common risks of epidural steroid injections?

Rare: In the hands of someone experienced epidural injections are very safe. They are done often under light sedation and utilize x-ray for proper placement. Most common risks are dural puncture leading to a leak of cerebrospinal fluid. This can lead to headaches. Once recognized there are ways to treat this. Other risks are injection site pain, infection and bleeding.

Epidural complicatio: The general risks of epidural injections (steroids or other wise) are: infection (meningitis, epidural abscess), bleeding, back pain localized to injection site (may last up to 3 weeks), nerve injury and accidental dural puncture causing headaches.

Like Any Other Inj: The worse part of an epidural injection is typically the local anesthetic administered to numb the skin. After that the needle typically feels like pressure. However as the needle enters the spinal canal or around the nerve root there can be some pain that is transient. Complications can be bleeding, infection, nerve damage and paralysis, but these are extremely rare.

Minimal: Localized increase in pain. Non-positional headaches resolving within 24 hours. Facial flushing. Anxiety. Sleeplessness. Fever the night of injection. High blood sugar. A transient decrease in immunity because of the suppressive effect of the steroid.