1. Slideshow: Low Back Pain
2. Take the Back Pain Quiz!
3. Good and Bad Exercises for Low Back Pain

Medical Author:

Jason C. Eck, DO, MS

Jason C. Eck, DO, MS

Dr. Eck received a Bachelor of Science degree from the Catholic University of America in Biomedical Engineering, followed by a Master of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering from Marquette University. Following this he worked as a research engineer

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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The patient will be given specific instruction from the doctor prior to coming for the injection. In most cases the patient can eat a small meal several hours prior to the injection. The patient can continue their normal medications with the exception of any blood thinners or anti-inflammatory medications. Please be sure to discuss all medications the patient is taking with the doctor when scheduling the injection to discuss the possibility of discontinuing any of them prior to the injection.

After the patient arrives for your epidural steroid injection an intravenous (IV) line will be placed in one of the veins. The patient may be given a medication to help them relax during the procedure. The patient will then be placed on an X-ray machine over a bolster to help open up the spaces between the bones in the back. An X-ray will be obtained to verify the proper level for the injection. The skin will be cleaned and prepared for the injection. The skin will then be injected with a medication to numb the area.

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