Epidural steroid injections are no big deal. They use fluoroscopy which is a like a low dose real time / live xray so they can see the needle and guide it to where it needs to be placed. I have never had a tinge of pain afterwards, but they always give me general anesthesia for these injections. I've never had one work for me, but I've been willing to try 3 times. Sometimes my pain is so high I could care less about the needle into the spine procedure. When you hurt so bad that you ponder suicide, who cares about a silly needle?