Can an epidural steroid injection be used for diagnostic purposes or is it only a nerve block that can diagnose where the pain may be coming from?
Almost universally, epidural steroid injections (ESI) contain a numbing agent like lidocaine. This anesthetic allows a diagnostic component as structures will be “numbed”. The ESI is a variation of Transforaminal ESIs and Selective Nerve Root Blocks (SNRB), which are more precise. The goal of the ESI depends upon why it is being used. See: https://neckandback.com/treatments/epidural-injections-and-selective-nerve-root-blocks-diagnostic-and-therapeutic/ https://neckandback.com/treatments/diagnostic-vs-therapeutic-injections/ and https://neckandback.com/treatments/pain-diary-instructions-for-spinal-injections/
Dr. Corenman
