Short answerA little, and for a short time. Leg pain and disability were slightly better in the first weeks to months, and there was no difference after three months.
Probably helps a little, for a short time
What it is
Sciatica is pain that runs down the leg from an irritated nerve in the lower back. An epidural steroid injection puts a steroid, an anti-inflammatory medicine, into the space around the spinal nerves. It is meant to calm the irritated nerve.
What the research shows
pooled 25 trials with 2,470 people with sciatica. Each trial compared a steroid injection with a placebo injection.
Between two weeks and three months, leg pain was about 5 points lower on a 100 point scale with the steroid, and disability was about 4 points lower. The reviewers described these effects as small. They said patients and doctors may not see a difference of less than 10 points as important.
After three months, and at 12 months or more, the steroid injections made no clear difference to leg pain.
The reviewers were very uncertain about minor side effects. These included more pain at the injection, headache, nausea and a drop in blood pressure. One person who took blood thinners had serious bleeding after an injection.
Risks and effort
The injection is done with a needle near the spine. Tell the doctor about any blood thinners or other medicines you take.
What usually works instead
Many people with a recent episode of sciatica improve over time, with staying active and pain relief. See Low Back Pain and Does paracetamol work for back pain and arthritis?.
Questions people ask
Will it help me avoid surgery?
This review did not measure that.
Is one approach to the injection better?
The review noted that no approach has been shown to be better than the others.
Is it safe?
Serious problems were rare in the trials. The evidence on safety was of very low certainty.
Sources
Select a source to read what the study or guideline found, in plain words, with a link to the original.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Next review due October 2028.
