The Difference Between Epidural Steroid Injections and Nerve Blocks

Advancements in pain management have resulted in numerous methods that control even the most complex symptoms. However, it has also increased confusion over which treatment is which and what provides the most relief.

At Amira Integrative Health PC in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, Mikhail Artamonov, MD, and his team offer a wide array of treatments for pain, including epidural steroid injections and nerve blocks. In this blog, they explain the difference and how to know which is right for you. 

What epidural steroid injections and nerve blocks have in common

Before looking at the differences between these two treatments, let’s take a moment to explore what they have in common. 

First, they both involve targeted injections with a syringe along the spine. Second, our team uses these treatments to address nerve pain. And third, they only require an office visit. 

But while epidural steroid injections and nerve blocks can provide significant pain relief, they work in very different ways. 

How nerve blocks work

With a nerve block injection, we can deliver numbing agents anywhere along the spine. More specifically, we provide the medication to nerves where they branch out of the spinal cord. 

These treatments usually involve delivering numbing agents to a specific nerve. Once the medication takes effect, it should soothe the irritation and block pain signals from going to your brain. This approach makes it highly effective for numerous types of nerve pain, such as:

• Arthritis pain
• Facial pain, such as trigeminal neuralgia
• Low back pain
• Headaches, including migraines and occipital neuralgia
• Chronic regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
• Cancer-related pain
• Post-surgical pain

Since nerve block injections involve numbing agents, you can usually have regular injections throughout your treatment plan. It’s also safe for them to be part of a long-term pain management strategy.

How epidural steroid injections work

We also administer epidural steroid injections along the spine. However, we deliver these injections into the epidural space. This fat-filled area lies beyond the protective membrane outside your spinal cord and surrounding nerves. 

When you have an epidural steroid injection, we inject anti-inflammatory medications into the epidural space near the nerve roots, causing your symptoms. This targeted approach helps reduce inflammation and manage pain, and it can also identify the nerve root causing your discomfort.

We often recommend epidural steroid injections for painful nerve-related conditions, such as:

• Sciatica 
• Herniated discs
• “Slipped” vertebrae
• Bone spurs
• Thickened spinal ligaments from spinal arthritis
• Joint cysts

Unlike nerve blocks, you can only have a specific number of injections — usually no more than 3-4 a year — due to the steroid medication involved. However, they can provide several months of pain relief.

Don’t let chronic and acute pain diminish your quality of life. We have solutions. Book a consultation today with Dr. Artamonov at Amira Integrative Health PC. Call the office at 570-630-9919 or request an appointment online.