This outpatient procedure is an injection of asteroid-anesthetic medication through an opening in the sacrum. The medication can reduce swelling and inflammation of irritated spinal nerves. The injection takes only a few minutes to complete.
The physician administers a local anesthetic to numb the skin and the tissue above the small opening at the base of the sacrum. This opening is called the sacral hiatus. When the area is numb, the physician guides a needle through the sacral hiatus and into the caudal epidural space. This is the open space in the sacrum where the irritated nerve roots are located.
The physician injects contrast solution through the needle. The physician uses a fluoroscope (a type of x-ray device) to confirm that the tip of the needle is positioned correctly within the epidural space. After the needle’s position has been confirmed, the physician injects a steroid-anesthetic medication. This medication bathes the irritated nerve roots and alleviate pain.
