Cervical Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injection

This injec­tion pro­ce­dure is per­formed to relieve neck, shoul­der and arm pain relat­ed to com­pres­sion of a nerve root in the cer­vi­cal spine. Con­di­tions such as her­ni­at­ed discs and spinal steno­sis can com­press nerves, caus­ing inflam­ma­tion and pain. The med­ica­tion inject­ed helps decrease the swelling of nerves.

The physi­cian uses a flu­o­ro­scope to locate the appro­pri­ate cer­vi­cal ver­te­bra and nerve root. A local anes­thet­ic is applied to numb the skin.

All the tis­sue down to the sur­face of the ver­te­bral trans­verse process is anes­thetized. The physi­cian slides a thin nee­dle with a slight­ly curved tip through the anes­thetized track. With the aid of the flu­o­ro­scope, the physi­cian care­ful­ly guides the nee­dle into the foram­i­nal space near the nerve root.

The physi­cian injects a con­trast solu­tion and uses the flu­o­ro­scope to con­firm the cor­rect posi­tion of the nee­dle tip.

A steroid-anes­thet­ics mix is inject­ed into the foram­i­nal epidur­al space, bathing the painful nerve root with sooth­ing medication.

The nee­dle is removed, and a small ban­dage is applied. In most cas­es, the patient will be able to return home the same day.

Click here review an illus­tra­tion of the Cer­vi­cal Trans­foram­i­nal Epidur­al Steroid Injec­tion.(Infor­ma­tion obtained from www​.viewmed​ica​.com 2012 Swarm Interactive).