Duration of Radicular Pain Relief After Epidural Injections

Evidence on Duration of Pain Relief

The American Society of Anesthesiologists recommends epidural steroid injections as part of a multimodal treatment approach to provide pain relief for patients with radicular pain, with observational studies showing back pain relief for 2 weeks to 3 months and neck pain relief for 1 week to 12 months 1, 2
One randomized controlled trial reported lower pain scores at 6 months for leg pain when comparing transforaminal epidural steroid injection with local anesthetic versus saline injection 1
Epidural steroid injections are recommended as part of a multimodal treatment approach to provide pain relief for patients with radicular pain, with strong evidence for short-term relief and limited to moderate evidence for long-term relief 4

Effectiveness of epidural injections varies significantly between patients, with some experiencing minimal relief while others have prolonged benefit, and complications may include dural puncture, insertion-site infections, and cauda equina syndrome 1, 2
Image guidance, such as fluoroscopy, should be used for both interlaminar and transforaminal epidural injections to ensure proper needle placement 4