Thoracic Epidural Steroid Injection
- Home
- Treatments
- Thoracic Epidural Steroid Injection
What is a Thoracic Epidural Steroid Injection?
A thoracic epidural steroid injection is a shot that temporarily helps ease pain in your thoracic region. This region is the upper to middle part of your back. Medicine is injected into an area around your spinal cord. This area is known as the epidural space.
Your spinal cord is a delicate bundle of nerves that runs from your brain to your lower back. The nerves of the spinal cord allow your brain to communicate with the rest of your body. The epidural space surrounds the spinal cord. The spine or backbone is the hard structure composed of a column of many small bones (vertebrae). The bones of the spinal column help protect your spinal cord from injury. Between these bones are intervertebral discs. These discs cushion the vertebrae. They also give your backbone flexibility.
Sometimes, nerves leaving the spinal cord can become pinched or inflamed. That might happen, for example, if part of an intervertebral disc presses into the space of the spinal cord and nerves. You may then feel pain in your back.
What Happens After a Thoracic Epidural Injection?
After the procedure, you typically will need to wait a short while before going home. Your healthcare provider can then watch for any reactions to the shot. You should be able to go back home within the hour. You may need to rest for the remainder of the day. But you should be able to resume your normal activities the next day. If you took medicine to help you relax, you shouldn’t drive or make any important decisions for at least 24 hours.
You may not notice any improvement right after your shot. The shot may take as much as a week or so before it starts to ease the pain. Any benefit may last for a few months. If the injection controls your pain while your back is slowly healing on its own, the pain may not return at all.