• Before treatment, tell your doctor what medicines you take. This includes aspirin. Ask if you should stop taking any of them before treatment.

• Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or could be.

• Tell your doctor if you are allergic to any medicines.

• Follow any directions you are given for not eating or drinking before the procedure.

• If asked, bring X-rays, MRIs, or other tests with you to your treatment.

You may be given medicine to help you relax. You will lie on an exam table on your stomach or side, or sit in a chair. Stay as still as you can. During your treatment:

• The skin over the injection site is cleaned. A pain medicine (local anesthetic) numbs the skin.

• X-ray imaging (fluoroscopy) may be used to help your healthcare provider see where the injection needs to go. A contrast dye may be injected into the region to help get a better image.

• The cervical epidural injection is given. It may contain a local anesthetic to numb the region, medicines to ease inflammation (steroids), or both.

• Infection

• Spinal headaches

• Bleeding

• Nerve damage

• Spinal cord damage

• Prolonged increase in pain

Other more serious complications have been reported. Talk to your doctor about your risks.

You can likely go home about 1 hour after the procedure. Have a family member or friend drive you. When the anesthetic wears off, your neck may feel more sore than usual. This is normal. Rest and put ice or a cold pack wrapped in a thin cloth on the area for minutes. Do this a few times during the first day. The steroids most often start to work within a few days. Ask your healthcare provider when it’s OK to go back to work.

Call your healthcare provider right away if you have:

• Fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, or as advised by your healthcare provider

• Nausea

• Severe headaches

• Arm weakness or numbness that gets worse

• Trouble swallowing

• Pain that gets much worse