A new systematic review, examining 90 studies conducted over a 16-year period, has been developed by The American Academy of Neurology to summarise the evidence for epidural steroid injections to treat certain kinds of chronic back pain. The review focused on the use of these injections to reduce pain in radiculopathy (pinched nerves) and spinal stenosis (compression of the nerve within the spinal canal). The conclusion is that for people suffering with radicular pain, it may be effective for up to three months in reducing pain/disability and six months or more in the case of spinal stenosis. There appear to be no studies that examine the effect of repeated treatments. Learn more.