How often can you get epidural steroid injections?

How often you can have an epidural steroid injection decides how many you could be billed for in a year. That makes the limit a pricing fact worth knowing before a quote arrives.

Two to three a year, by one account

Cleveland Clinic gives a number for the yearly limit. Because of this, most healthcare providers limit people to 2 to 3 ESIs per year.

Read it as what most providers do, not a rule for every patient. Ask your own clinician what applies to you.

What the limit means for a quote

If most providers cap the count, a quote that assumes many more deserves a question. Before you treat any total as firm, have the office put the price per injection and the planned injection count in writing.

What to do next

Ask the office how many injections it expects you to need and what it bases that on. For the steroid side, read Cleveland Clinic's page on cortisone shots. For background on pain care in general, use the MedlinePlus pain page, the Cleveland Clinic pain management guide and the WebMD pain management center.

Price per injection times injection count

Per-injection price and injection count multiply. A cheap single price can still hide a long plan, so ask for both numbers whether you live in Garfield or travel in from elsewhere.