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Published data and guidelines are mixed about whether epidural steroid injections benefit patients with sciatica. Researchers performed a meta-analysis of 23 randomized trials (>2000 patients) in which steroid injections were compared with placebo injections. The placebo arms included injection of inert substances (such as saline) or short-acting anesthetics. Both acute and chronic cases were included in the trials; patients with histories of surgery or potential spinal canal stenosis were excluded. Short- (>2 weeks but ≤3 months) and long-term (>12 months) efficacy was measured on a scale from 0 to 100 points (difference of 10–30 points is clinically significant).
Epidural steroid injections were associated with less short-term leg pain (me…