Do you need a referral for an epidural steroid injection?

An epidural steroid injection places medicine near spinal nerves to help reduce inflammation and pain in selected conditions. A pain-management clinician or spine surgeon needs to review the cause and location of your symptoms, examination findings, scans, medicines, and health history before recommending it.

A referral may identify the diagnosis, previous treatments, and clinical question for the injection. It does not confirm that an injection is appropriate. The clinician should discuss expected benefits, limitations, alternatives, and possible risks before you consent.

Call the service to ask whether a referral is required, which clinician can provide it, and whether imaging or prior treatment records are needed. Tell the team about blood-thinning medicine, allergies, diabetes, infection, pregnancy, immune problems, or previous reactions to injections.

Do not stop medicines or eat and drink differently unless the treating team gives instructions. Bring your medication list and scan reports. Ask how the injection will be performed, whether local anaesthetic is used, and what activity limits apply afterward.

Seek urgent assessment for new limb weakness, loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness around the groin, fever with severe back pain, or rapidly worsening symptoms. After an injection, seek prompt help for severe headache, fever, increasing weakness, difficulty breathing, or loss of bladder control.

Ask: What diagnosis is the injection targeting? Do I need a referral? What alternatives are available? Which medicines need special instructions? How will we judge whether it helped, and what warning symptoms require immediate help?