What are the most common complications of interventional pain procedures?

Most patients will not encounter problems after interventional pain procedures. It’s not uncommon to experience some pain for the first 24-48 hours after the local anesthetic has worn off. Some patients may experience steroid “Flush”. This is associated with redness of the face, swelling, agitation and ability to sleep. This is almost always self limited within 2-3 days. As with any procedure, however, there are potential risks, including, but not limited to: reaction to anesthesia, infection, swelling, nerve damage, paralysis, headache, temporary nerve irritation, bleeding, epidural hematoma, epidural abscess, and procedure failure.