At Integrative Sports & Spine in Alhambra, we offer epidural steroid injections for patients with spinal pain linked to disc degeneration, arthritis, or nerve irritation. Our approach focuses on accurately targeting the affected spinal level using image guidance to improve outcomes. Treatment is designed to reduce pain while preserving long-term spinal function.
n epidural steroid injection (ESI) is a targeted procedure that delivers anti-inflammatory corticosteroid medication directly into the epidural space of the spine, the narrow channel surrounding your spinal cord and nerve roots. Rather than circulating medication throughout your entire body as oral drugs do, an ESI places treatment precisely where your pain originates, making it far more effective for nerve-driven spinal conditions.
Why It Works: Most chronic back, neck, and radiating limb pain is driven by inflammation around compressed or irritated spinal nerves. A herniated disc pressing on a nerve root, narrowed spinal canal walls squeezing nerve tissue, or bone spurs irritating nearby structures all trigger an inflammatory response that amplifies pain signals. An epidural steroid injection works by directly quieting that inflammatory response at its source, reducing nerve swelling and irritation, interrupting the persistent pain cycle that makes chronic conditions so difficult to escape, and restoring enough comfort that patients can engage productively in rehabilitation and strengthening exercises.
For Alhambra and San Gabriel Valley patients who have worked through conservative care options without lasting improvement, an ESI offers a meaningful, evidence-based next step before considering anything more invasive.
Our Alhambra interventional pain physicians use epidural steroid injections to address a broad range of spinal and nerve-related diagnoses:
• Lumbar herniated or bulging discs
• Cervical herniated discs with arm pain or weakness
• Lumbar and cervical spinal stenosis
• Sciatica and lumbar radiculopathy
• Cervical radiculopathy causing neck, shoulder, or arm symptoms
• Degenerative disc disease at single or multiple spinal levels
• Bone spurs with associated nerve compression
• Spondylolisthesis
• Thoracic spine pain and intercostal nerve irritation
• Persistent post-surgical spinal pain
• Chronic axial low back or neck pain unresponsive to other treatments
If pain has been keeping you from your work, your family, or the active life you're used to in the San Gabriel Valley, we encourage you to schedule a consultation and find out whether an epidural steroid injection is the right fit for your condition.
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The best candidates are patients with clearly identifiable nerve compression or irritation along the spine, particularly those experiencing radiating pain, numbness, or weakness in the arms or legs. Your physician will review your imaging and clinical presentation to determine whether you're likely to respond well.
We apply local anesthetic to the skin and soft tissue before the procedure, which significantly reduces discomfort. Most patients describe a sensation of pressure during the injection rather than sharp pain. Our team will guide you through every step so you know exactly what to expect.
Many patients notice improvement within three to seven days. Some feel relief sooner; others may take up to two weeks. The degree and duration of relief varies by patient and condition your physician will give you a realistic picture based on your specific diagnosis.
Clinical guidelines generally recommend no more than three epidural steroid injections per spinal region within a 12-month period. Your physician will recommend the appropriate number based on your initial response and overall treatment goals.
Yes, and in many cases we recommend it. Epidural steroid injections work especially well when paired with physical therapy, as the pain relief they provide creates an ideal window for strengthening and rehabilitation. They can also complement regenerative medicine approaches depending on your condition.
We welcome both self-referred patients and those referred by other providers. If you're unsure, simply call our office and our team will help determine the best way to get you scheduled.
Treated for lumbar herniated disc
"I'd been dealing with sciatica for over two years. The pain was shooting all the way down to my foot and I couldn't sit through a meal without shifting around in agony. After two epidural injections and some physical therapy, I've been pain-free for eight months. I wish I'd come in sooner."
Treated for lumbar spinal stenosis
"Walking more than half a block was impossible because of the leg pain. My daughter found this clinic and encouraged me to try the injections before surgery. I'm so grateful she did. I walk to the park every morning now, something I hadn't been able to do in years."
Treated for cervical radiculopathy
"The nerve pain in my neck and arm was affecting my performance at work. I sit at a computer all day. Oral medications weren't cutting it. The injection gave me the relief I needed to get through physical therapy and actually fix the underlying problem. I feel like myself again."
Chronic back and neck pain doesn't have to be your new normal. Our Alhambra pain management team is ready to evaluate your condition thoroughly and develop a treatment plan that's built around your specific diagnosis, your recovery goals, and your life. For many San Gabriel Valley patients, an epidural steroid injection is the turning point that makes everything else possible again.
Call (833) 476-7377 or fill out our online form to book an appointment at any of our four Southern California locations.
For more information about our other locations, visit:
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