Thoracic Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injection in Flowood, MS

A thoracic transforaminal epidural steroid injection is used to relieve pain that is being experienced in the thoracic spine due to a pinched nerve, including the abdomen, upper back, and ribs. The injection consists of corticosteroids, which is anti-inflammatory medication that is administered around the source of the inflammation to temporarily reduce the pain that is being experienced due to the pinched nerve or nerves. A physician may recommend that their patient receives a thoracic transforaminal epidural steroid injection if they have experienced moderate to severe pain in the epidural space along their spine for at least three months and have found no relief from other treatment options including physical therapy or pain medication.

There are several different injuries or conditions that can lead to pain in the epidural space, including:

– A herniated disc
– Degenerative disc disease
– Sciatica
– Lumbar spinal stenosis
– Lumbar or cervical radiculopathy
– Facet/synovial cysts
– Thoracic post-surgical spine syndrome
– Injuries leading to irritation of the nerves in the spine

Pain in the epidural space can be caused by a number of factors but can be tricky to relieve. The pain can be experienced throughout the upper and mid back, and extend down into the legs, causing pain and discomfort in a number of areas due to the location of the affected nerves. The thoracic transforaminal epidural steroid injection is often used as a pain relief option if physical therapy or other less invasive pain medications have proven insufficient, but is often the step before a surgical procedure.

In order to receive a thoracic transforaminal epidural steroid injection, the physician will provide all necessary information to ensure that the patient is properly prepared for the appointment, including when to stop eating or drinking before the appointment, and if the patient should stop taking any medications leading up to the injection. The patient will also need to make sure that they have someone available to drive them home after the appointment. During the actual procedure, the patient will need to lie on their stomach or side to allow for easy access to the site of injection. The physician will clean the area and will likely inject a numbing agent into the area to minimize discomfort from the procedure. Using x-ray images that were taken previously, the physician will place the needle in the correct position and angle and then slow inject the medicine into the epidural space. It is common to experience some discomfort, with many patients reporting sensations of “pins and needles”, but there should not be any pain from the injection itself. If the patient is experiencing pain while being injected with the steroids, they should tell the physician immediately. Once the injection has been administered, the physician will likely want to supervise the patient for around one hour to ensure that there are no adverse reactions to the procedure before sending them home to relax for the rest of the day.

The injected medication will take a day or two to start providing relief for the pain and will continue to increase in pain relief for about two weeks until it reaches its peak. The amount of time that this peak of pain relief lasts can vary a bit from patient to patient, with most patients being able to experience the benefits from the medications for anywhere from several weeks to several months, or even longer. Those who find the injections to provide sufficient benefits and works to relieve their pain can choose to continue receiving the procedure two to three times annually to sustain the results. 

Learn more about the thoracic transforaminal epidural steroid injection. We are conveniently located at 1 Layfair Drive, Suite 400 Flowood, MS 39232. For more information, contact us or schedule an appointment online. We serve patients from Flowood MS, Jackson MS, Pearl MS, Richland MS, Ridgeland MS, Langford MS, Brandon MS, and surrounding areas.