Cortisone shots

Sorry about your results. That's just the part of my spine that is messed up, too. Well, I got 2 at once and they didn't help me - well, maybe a tiny bit, but not worth the pain of the shots, or the cost. They did mine without any anesthesia, which sure didn't help.

But I know they really do help some people.

Debbie

You can't get more than 3 a year without risking bone loss.

My L5-S1 is bone on bone due to degenerative disk disease. I went to a PT who strenghten my core muscles and showed me how to walk and get up and down without too much pain. I have mild stenosis and scoliosis.

I voted not to do injections.

Is it facet joint injection with steroid? They are hit or miss. I had done it twice, first time worked better than the second time. But then it really depends on which pain are you trying to address, I was being over zealous and try to manage two separate types of pain with one treatment, the end result was too much expectation, and didn't get the pain relieve I was expecting. You can use it to treat lower back pain. But if you're trying to treat sciatica muscle and nerve pain, they are almost impossible to treat it.

I've had many trigger point injection with linocaine, I've to say, out of say 20 treatments I've had, may be I had one successful treatment, but that day was brilliant, I finally felt what it was like to be walking with no pain on my legs. Too bad it didn't last...

I had four cortisone shots in my L4, L5 area about a year and half ago.  It didn't help me at all but it gave me the side effect of high blood pressure that I never had before.

In December I had minimally invasive spine surgery and I am completely better. I feel so blessed that this surgery helped me. My main pre-surgery symptoms were sciatica pain, low back pain and squeezing numbing pain in my right foot.  ALL GONE!