Steroid Injections Probably Won't Help Your Lower Back Pain
Steroid Injections Probably Won't Help Your Lower Back Pain
Any relief is likely temporary, review of 38 studies says
"We have known that steroid injections don't have a lasting benefit," said Shamie, who was not involved in the study. "For spinal stenosis, giving an injection is not going to open up the compression of the nerves and is not going to have a lasting effect."
Shamie doesn't think steroid injections are worth the cost. "When you offer a procedure to patients that doesn't have a lasting benefit and ultimately they may need a definitive treatment," he said, "the question is, should we keep offering them this shorter-lived treatment?"
But Shamie said that patients often want to try a steroid injection because they fear surgery.
For most patients suffering from spinal stenosis, surgery is the best treatment, Shamie said.
Having options are important, but being realistic about your expectations is also critical, Shamie said. "If you think that steroid injections are going to rid of your problem, you're fooling yourself," he said.
Steroid Injections May Not Help Lower Back Pain
Any relief is likely temporary, review of 38 studies says
"We have known that steroid injections don't have a lasting benefit," said Shamie, who was not involved in the study. "For spinal stenosis, giving an injection is not going to open up the compression of the nerves and is not going to have a lasting effect."
Shamie doesn't think steroid injections are worth the cost. "When you offer a procedure to patients that doesn't have a lasting benefit and ultimately they may need a definitive treatment," he said, "the question is, should we keep offering them this shorter-lived treatment?"
But Shamie said that patients often want to try a steroid injection because they fear surgery.
For most patients suffering from spinal stenosis, surgery is the best treatment, Shamie said.
Having options are important, but being realistic about your expectations is also critical, Shamie said. "If you think that steroid injections are going to rid of your problem, you're fooling yourself," he said.
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