Epidural Steroid Injections for Low Back Pain: A Narrative Review

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health Vol. 19; no. 1; p. 231
• Main Authors: Carassiti, Massimiliano, Pascarella, Giuseppe, Strumia, Alessandro, Russo, Fabrizio, Papalia, Giuseppe Francesco, Cataldo, Rita, Gargano, Francesca, Costa, Fabio, Pierri, Michelangelo, De Tommasi, Francesca, Massaroni, Carlo, Schena, Emiliano, Agrò, Felice Eugenio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 26-12-2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Analgesics; Back pain; Back Pain - drug therapy; Chronic illnesses; Disease; Epidural; Humans; Injections, Epidural; Intervention; Low back pain; Low Back Pain - drug therapy; Medical treatment; Pain; Patients; Quality of Life; Review; Spinal stenosis; Steroids; Steroids - therapeutic use; Surgery; lumbosacral radicular pain; disk herniation; canal stenosis; epidural steroid injections; low back pain; review
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19010231

Low back pain represents a significant socioeconomic burden. Several nonsurgical medical treatments have been proposed for the treatment of this disabling condition. Epidural steroid injections (ESIs) are commonly used to treat lumbosacral radicular pain and to avoid surgery. Even though it is still not clear which type of conservative intervention is superior, several studies have proved that ESIs are able to increase patients' quality of life, relieve lumbosacral radicular pain and finally, reduce or delay more invasive interventions, such as spinal surgery. The aim of this narrative review is to analyze the mechanism of action of ESIs in patients affected by low back pain and investigate their current application in treating this widespread pathology.