The use of epidural steroid injections has become very common in the recent times. They are basically being used to treat low back and leg pains in patients. But no medication comes without side effects and any medicine or treatment which such quick results obviously will be accompanied by serious side effects and problems. Many physicians were consulted on their opinions on the common usage of steroid injection.
Marc E. Lynch, responded by saying that the mode of delivering spinal steroid injections have changed a lot since the last 10 – 15 years. In the initial hundred years, physicians blindly delivered without much imagination. After late 1990s, when fluoroscopy started becoming more well-known, it allowed view of structures within the body as well as introduced a no. of new and possibly dangerous procedures. But with it came the risk of accessing and performing procedures on area which were so sensitive and prone to failures that it may be very dangerous if the procedures were not performed with a lot of carefulness and understanding.
There has been a no. of latest studies which are related to steroid usage. Particulate steroids, except a few, can be steered clear of from epidural space, more particularly in neck (cervical region). This is where intra arterial injections are very much likely to happen, accidentally, in spine rather than other place.
Most, of the serious and dangerous side effects may be shunned with the use of non particulate steroids while avoiding deep-rooted sedation while performing these procedures, specifically in cervical region.
Ronald DeMeo, MD gives his opinion by saying that he thinks when Medicare as well as other carriers made efforts in order to take these procedures out of ASC and hospitals, basically they end up removing quality control & peer to peer reviewing and credentials.
This is when doors open to a no. of amateur physicians performing these procedures. When these amateur doctors start performing procedures out of the hospitals and in offices, they may start showing a no. of complications whereas when these procedures are performed in hospitals with trained professionals, the problem rate goes down by a large number.
Timothy Spencer shares that these Epidural steroids are being offered to patients since a lot of years now and just as any other procedure, this too can have dangerous side effects. This fact‘s been well known since many years.
Uzma Parvez, shares that Epidural steroid shots can only be an option as long as they are performed by trained physicians only in case of patients who really need it and deserve such treatment. Chances are that side effects as well as complications may end up increasing with irresponsible selection of patient.
