Cortisone injections?

Question

I suffer from back pain!!

I had an mri scan and there is damage to the L4 & LS discs.

I can’t sleep at night and I’m becoming more and more frustrated, I am taking muscle relaxers and serious pain med's to make it through most days.

I'm in physical therapy 2 days a week, and try still be active...taking walks but don't want to push my luck and hurt my self further.

Have tried to remain positive, but lately my self esteem has been low due to pain and lack of quality sleep.

I feel so tired.... It’s as if my day is over before it’s begun, I'm 29 and feel 60!!

I don't really like shots and the thought of one in my spine scares the crap out of me!!

I was just wondering if anyone has had these cortisone injections in the lower back, and what the experience was like.....

Did they hurt??
Feel any improvement short term or long term??
How long did the improvement last??
Feel in a worse condition after the injections??

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer me!!!

Answer 1

Cortisone helps with inflammation, but can also cause weight gain and you will need repeat treatments depending on how bad it is.. ( I gained 60lbs with mine and finally lost 45 of it last year)

Muscle relaxers will not work for your spinal disks. Only the muscles around it will be relaxed and may cause more damage to your disk.

One non-surgical treatment option is transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). A TENS device applies a small electrical current to critical points along the path of a nerve. It doesn't hurt.

Another is acupuncture. It is very painless and it really does help.


You can try epidural steroid injection once and if it helps, try to
use aleve to keep the swelling down and have your PT give you a whirlpool therapy.

Hope you feel better soon!!

Answer 2

I have had many cortisone injections in my spine and they are a waste of time, pain and money. Go see a neurosurgeon and let them evaluate you.

Answer 3

i never personally had the shots, but, i would drive my mother in-law to receive hers. she ABSOLUTELY loved her after effect. its not so bad, and the relief you feel after is worth it.