Sciatica, Herniated Discs and the epidural

By the time I blew my back out and got to the orthopedic surgeon, he sent me in for a series of three epidurals. You get on a table, and they stick a big nasty needle in your back, shooting the area full of cortizone. It wasn't a big deal, although it was pretty painful.

When I walked out the first time, they told me it would take a few days to kick in. But thanks to the local's numbing effect it felt like it worked right away. OK, that wishful thinking was gone after an hour. Bummer!

I did a series of three, and after the second, I thought it was working. Unfortunately, in my case it lasted a few days and that was that.

The thing you need to know is that all this is doing is getting rid of the pain. In other words, if your lumbar disc is herniated, it is still herniated after the epidural, and the pain will almost certainly return.

The Ortho said it was important to break the cycle of pain, and the hopes were that the back would get better with rest. Not in my case.

However, the second time I herniated, I did it again, and I think the epidural made the physical therapy possible, so it indirectly helped.