Neuritis is the inflammation of a nerve (or the peripheral nervous system). It can occur as a result of:
- Physical injury
- Infection (including, for example, Lyme disease)
- Chemotherapy
- Radiation therapy
However, the chief cause of neuritis is chronic acidosis. Typically, our body fluids should be alkaline in their reaction, but when the acid waste matter is continuously formed in the tissues over a long period such as the disc nucleus, it results in acidosis, which can lead to neuritis. There are many symptoms associated with neuritis, including tingling, burning, and stabbing pains in the affected nerves. In severe cases, there may be numbness and loss of sensation and paralysis of the nearby muscles.
How can epidural steroid injections help patients suffering from neuritis?
An epidural steroid injection (ESI) is a minimally invasive procedure that has been shown to relieve neck, arm, back, and leg pain caused by inflamed spinal nerves. Steroid medications are injected directly onto the spinal nerve roots through the epidural space, which is the area between the protective coverings of the spinal cord and the vertebrae.
What can you expect from epidural steroid injections?
Patients who receive an ESI can experience relief that may last for several days, months or even years. However, since the medication addresses the pain at the level of the spinal cord or nerve roots, it's not uncommon to experience a much longer period of pain relief because the local acidosis is neutralized.
Here at Southern Pain & Neurological of Greater New Orleans, we space out treatment regimens to prevent and minimize unwanted side effects, such as bone and soft-tissue breakdown near the injection site, and unnecessary surgery.
Our goal when recommending ESI to patients is to reduce pain to a point where patients may resume normal activities, including starting a physical therapy or exercise program for long-term healing.
Do you or someone you know suffer from the symptoms of neuritis? Patients throughout Greater New Orleans have found relief from epidural steroid injections, which we administer from each of our three Louisiana locations (Marrero, Metairie, and Covington).
Schedule a consultation with our team to learn more about how you can treat the symptoms of neuritis with epidural steroid injections.