Epidural steroid injections are common spinal injections utilized for pain management. In this injection, a steroid medication is injected precisely using x-ray guidance into the epidural space of the level causing the symptoms. The epidural space is located just outside the spinal sac throughout the whole spine from the neck down to the tailbone region. These injections are commonly used to treat radiculopathies and/or spinal stenosis at the different spinal levels. Radiculopathies are painful conditions caused by pinched or irritated spinal nerve root(s) producing radiating and shooting pain and/or numbness to the extremities , in case of the cervical and lumbar spine ,or to the front of the abdominal or chest wall, in case of the thoracic spine. Spinal stenosis is a condition where there is narrowing of the main spinal canal or one of its foramina where nerve roots exit the spine. Epidural injections are usually done under local anesthesia and patients go home shortly after the procedure.
Epidural injections are named according to the targeted spinal level as follow:
Cervical epidural steroid injection ( in the neck)
Thoracic epidural steroid injection (In the upper and mid-back)
Lumbar epidural steroid  injection ( In the lower back)
Caudal epidural steroid injection ( lowest part of epidural space above the tailbone)
Epidural injections are also named according to the place where the needle enters the epidural space as follows:
Interlaminar epidural (entry is from midline in between the spines of the spine.)
Transforaminal epidural (entry is from the foramen where the nerve root exit the spine.)