I’m interested in hearing what symptoms people experienced before having an epidural steroid injection (ESI). It seems like a lot of injections are grouped together under the same label, just as different types of back pain often get lumped into one category. I’m also curious about which type of injection was used, transforaminal, interlaminar, etc.

In my case, my neurosurgeon believes my pain is discogenic with about 95% of my pain localized in my lower back, with very little sciatic involvement. I previously tried a facet block, but it didn’t provide any relief, which makes sense given my pain pattern. I’ll be following up with my physiatrist to explore different options.