trial, randomized controlled (RCT) An experimental design used for testing the effectiveness of a new medication or a new therapeutic procedure. Individuals are assigned randomly to a treatment group (experimental therapy) and a control group (placebo or standard therapy) and the outcomes are compared.
For an epidural: 1  The doctor injects medicine just outside of the sac of fluid around your spinal cord. This is called the epidural space.  The medicine numbs, or blocks feeling in a certain part of your body so that you cannot feel pain. The medicine begins to take effect in about 10 to 20 minutes. It works well for longer procedures. Women often have an epidural during childbirth.
What is an epidural steroid injection? An epidural steroid injection is a common procedure to treat spinal nerve irritation that is most often caused by tissues next to the nerve pressing against it. The beginning of the nerve (nerve root) may be irritated by a bulging intervertebral disc, disc contents (ruptured disc) or bone spur, directly touching the spinal nerve.