Cervical Epidural Steroid Injection: Can It Be Savior or Disaster for Patients?

Abstract

Cervical epidural steroid injection (CESI) is conducted to treat the patient with neck or upper limb pain from various cervical pathologies. Despite its clinical usefulness that have been supported by numerous literatures, concerns for serious complication associated with its technical and relevant anatomical properties give up its application at clinical setting to target non-specific treatment, medication, as compared with lumbosacral correspondence. But it is desirable as pain physician to conduct disease specific treatment by overcoming the barriers. This review is to explore the technical consideration of CESI to stress the clinical importance of CESI as target-specific conservative treatment for pain from cervical diseases. This describes technical consideration of transforaminal and interlaminar approach and the topic of ultrasound guided injection as replacement with non-radiation exposure to C arm guided injection. In conclusion, appropriate procedural application based on exact knowledge of relevant technical considerations promotes clinical usefulness of CESI, which leads CESI to valuable treatment option of the patients with cervical diseases.

Keywords

• cervical epidural injection
• interlaminar
• medication
• transforaminal
• ultrasound