A Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation expert at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, Dr. Randy Shelerud, have disclosed that Corticosteroid injections may be prescribed for nerve pain that is intense or is not relieved by other medications in the case of the herniated lumbar disk.
Dr. Shelerud made this disclosure during a Q and A session with Cynthia Weiss, a member of Mayo Clinic’s public affairs team when she painted the scenario of some late 50s patients living an active lifestyle but experiencing herniated lumbar disk despite having had two prior surgeries and have tried pain medicines and injections in the past.
The Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation expert said Corticosteroids work by reducing inflammation around the one or more spinal nerves where the injection has been administered and that it is called an epidural injection, though he agrees that pain from a herniated disk often subsides with time as the condition gradually improves on its own, adding that in the interim, utilizing nonsurgical treatment options could help alleviate the discomfort.
Dr. Shelerud, while providing further explanation said a herniated disk can result from the natural wear and tear on the spine as the individual age, thus causing a softer inner core, called the nucleus of the tough outer layer, called the annulus, to begin to stiffen, dehydrated thereby developing cracks that lead to what is sometimes called a slipped, protruding, extruding or ruptured disk.
He also said that some cases of a herniated disk can become inflamed or put pressure on a spinal nerve, causing leg pain, numbness or weakness if the disk is in the low back — or those same symptoms in the arm if the disk is in the neck.
A second opinion before pursuing additional treatment becomes needful to know the cause of pain, even if an MRI or CT scan shows disk abnormalities, they may not be the root of the problem as several musculoskeletal sources of leg pain can mimic nerve irritation pain, he added.
While saying that a combination of medications and physical therapy can become effective in relieving discomfort, the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Practitioner added that working with a recognized physical medicine group and the physical therapist would help to provide education on spine biomechanics, posture, and other back care principles, as well as prescribe exercises designed to stabilize and strengthen back muscles, to help increase flexibility and that muscle relaxant sometimes are only prescribed when discomfort is accompanied by back muscle spasms.
