Treatment of lumbosacral radicular pain with epidural steroid injections

Fifty patients with an average age of 47 years received epidural steroid in jections for lumbosacral radicular pain due to disk herniation or spinal st enosis. All patients had failed previous conservative treatment. Mean follo w-up was 24 months (range: 12-36 months). Immediately after injection, all 50 patients reported various degrees of relief from leg and back pain. At t he last follow-up examination, 68% of patients were asymptomatic, 20% had n o change in preinjection radicular symptoms, and 12% had various degrees of relief. No significant correlation was found between pain relief, age, or number of injections. Early pain relief may be anticipated after epidural s teroid injections in 80% of patients with radicular symptoms due to disk he rniation or spinal stenosis.