Epidural steroid injection recovery What to expect in the hours, days and weeks after your injection

If you have an epidural scheduled, you probably know why: an irritated nerve in the lower back or neck causing sciatica or arm pain. Our other posts explain how an epidural injection treats back pain and the transforaminal epidural for sciatica. This one covers what happens after the needle comes out. The videos show the injection itself; your physician gives you aftercare instructions for your own procedure, and those come first.

Right after the injection

An epidural steroid injection is done with live X-ray guidance, as the videos show, so the physician can place the medicine next to the irritated nerve. Afterward you rest for a short time while the team checks how you feel. The numbing medicine can make a leg (or an arm, after a neck injection) feel numb, heavy or weak for a few hours, so plan for someone else to drive you home. In the last video, the patient is up, walking and smiling after her injection.

The first 24 to 48 hours

• Take it easy for the rest of the day; short walks around the house are fine
• Return to light activity the next day unless your physician says otherwise
• Shower as usual, but skip baths, pools and hot tubs for a day or so
• Use an ice pack on the injection site for soreness, 15 minutes at a time
• Remove the bandage the next day
• Keep a simple pain diary; it helps at your follow-up visit

Common side effects after an epidural

• Soreness where the needle went in, for a day or two
• A short-lived increase in your usual pain before it improves
• Facial flushing, warmth or trouble sleeping for a night or two
• Higher blood sugar for a few days if you have diabetes, so check it more often

Serious problems are uncommon. Your physician reviews the risks with you before the injection.

When does the epidural start working?

The numbing medicine can bring relief for a few hours, then wear off, so pain may return that evening. That is expected. The steroid itself usually starts to calm the nerve within two to seven days, sometimes up to two weeks. Relief then lasts a few weeks to several months (for who benefits most, see do epidural injections work?); our post on epidural injections for back pain covers how long it lasts and what it can and cannot do. If nothing has changed after two weeks, your physician reviews the plan, which may mean a different level or approach, or another look at the diagnosis.

Epidural steroid injection recovery and physical therapy

An epidural calms the inflamed nerve, but it does not strengthen the back or fix the way it moves. The weeks of lower pain are the best time to restart physical therapy: core and hip strength, gentle nerve mobility work, and safer ways to sit, bend and lift. Physical therapy is offered at our Brooklyn and Staten Island offices. For the bigger picture, see chronic back pain treatment.

When to call your doctor

Call promptly for fever or chills, redness, swelling or drainage at the injection site, a severe headache that is worse when you sit or stand up, or new or worsening numbness or weakness. Go to an emergency room or call 911 for loss of bladder or bowel control or sudden leg weakness.

Related care at Precision Care Medical & Sports Performance

Epidural injections near you

Every epidural starts with an evaluation by one of our pain management physicians. Pain procedures are performed at all three offices, and your physician explains where and when yours will be scheduled. If you are searching for an epidural injection in Brooklyn, Ashley Marcus, MD sees patients at our Brooklyn pain management office, convenient to Midwood, Brighton Beach and Marine Park, where physical therapy is offered too. On Staten Island, Jake Stephen, DO sees patients for pain management on Staten Island, close to Great Kills and Dongan Hills, also with physical therapy on site.

For an epidural injection in Midtown East, Yuri Gordin, MD sees patients at the Precision Care Spine & Pain Center in Midtown Manhattan, 150 E 55th St, reached easily from Washington Heights, Spanish Harlem, the Financial District and Turtle Bay. Physical therapy is not offered at the Midtown Manhattan office. Looking for an epidural injection near me? Request an appointment or call the office closest to you.

Questions patients ask

Educational only, not medical advice. These videos and this article explain common problems and treatments in general terms. They are not a diagnosis or a treatment plan for you. Results vary from person to person. See a qualified clinician about your own symptoms, and call 911 or go to an emergency room for an emergency.

← More videos and articles on the Precision Care Medical & Sports Performance blog