Nerve Block Injections

About Adding Steroids

A steroid (an anti-inflammatory medication) is sometimes mixed into the injection.

What the Research Shows

Multiple studies have found that adding a steroid often does not make a significant difference compared to local anesthetic alone.

• Short-term (1-3 weeks): The steroid combination may be slightly more effective
• After 3 months: The results are no different from local anesthetic alone

Why Steroids Are Kept to a Minimum

Repeated steroid use can affect your body's hormonal balance (adrenal function). Since long-term added benefit has not been proven, the guideline recommendation is to use steroids as sparingly as possible.