The lumbar region of the back represents the five vertebrae of the lower back. When you experience lower back pain, inflammation of the lumbar spine is typically to blame. Lumbar steroid injections represent a nonsurgical treatment option designed to reduce pain and numbness related to lower back pain, according to Redding Anesthesia Associates Medical Group, a pain management clinic located in Redding, California. The injection contains an anti-inflammatory steroid designed to shrink the nerves. While the injection is a minimally invasive procedure, it can be accompanied by some side effects.
Numbness
The lumbar steroid injection involves inserting a needle into the lumbar region. While the medication is spreading, you may experience temporary numbness of the bowels and bladder, according to the Spine-Health website. This numbness should go away over the course of eight hours, according to the Mayfield Clinic, a neurosurgical clinic in Cincinnati, Ohio. If the numbness does not resolve, seek medical attention.
Infection
Because the lumbar steroid injection does involve piercing the skin, the potential for infection exists, explains Spine-Health. This would occur when bacteria enter the injection site, resulting in redness, swelling and possible drainage from the site. The estimated rate of infection is 0.1 to 0.01 percent, according to Spine-Health.
Dural Puncture
When the dural matter of the spine is punctured, you may experience a headache due to leaking spinal fluid, according to Spine-Health. This type of headache also is known as a spinal headache. Although the headache should subside after several days, in some patients, the headache can be incapacitating, according to the Acute and Chronic Pain and Spine Center, a Springfield, Missouri-based pain medicine practice. You may need to seek a treatment known as a blood patch in order to alleviate the symptoms. This blood patch involves inserting blood into the space around the vertebrae in order to encourage clotting, preventing spinal fluid from leaking. The likelihood of this event occurring is an estimated 0.5 percent of all injections, according to Spine-Health.
Nerve Damage
A lumbar steroid injection does not target a particular nerve but instead involves injecting the steroid into the epidural space of the lumbar area, according to the Acute and Chronic Pain and Spine Center. This means that in some instances, the needle can pierce or wound a nerve, according to Spine-Health. Bleeding or infection also can cause nerve damage. If you lose feeling in certain areas of the body, such as the arms or legs, notify your physician.
