For patients in South Africa
Epidural steroid injection in Turkey from South Africa: a plain guide
An epidural steroid injection places anti-inflammatory medication into the space around irritated spinal nerves. It can ease back, neck, arm or leg pain from conditions such as a herniated disc or spinal stenosis. It is a short outpatient treatment, which raises an honest question for patients from South Africa: is a ten-hour flight worth it for an injection? This page helps you decide.
In short: An epidural steroid injection is an outpatient treatment taking less than 30 minutes, done under imaging guidance with local anaesthetic. It reduces inflammation around nerves but does not correct the underlying spinal problem, and how long relief lasts varies. Some patients need repeat injections. For that reason it is often best combined with a full assessment, or planned as part of a wider treatment plan, rather than travelled for on its own.
Last updated: October 2026
How the injection is done
- The area is cleaned and numbed with local anaesthetic
- Using fluoroscopy, the specialist guides a fine needle into the epidural space near the affected nerve
- A corticosteroid, often mixed with local anaesthetic, is injected
- You are monitored for a short time and go home the same day
More detail is on the epidural steroid injection treatment page.
Who it may help
- Sciatica or nerve-related leg or arm pain
- A herniated or bulging disc, spinal stenosis or degenerative disc disease
- Pain that has not eased enough with medication or physiotherapy
- People hoping to delay or avoid surgery, where the specialist agrees that is reasonable
The specialist reviews your MRI or CT scans, examines you and looks at what you have already tried, to find the affected level and decide whether an injection is appropriate.
Is it worth the trip from South Africa?
Be realistic. Relief may start within several days or build over one to two weeks, and it may be temporary. If further injections are recommended later, you would need either another trip or a doctor at home willing to give them. An injection on its own rarely justifies a long-haul journey; it makes more sense when you are already coming for a full spinal assessment or another planned treatment.
If the specialist thinks a different treatment fits your problem better, such as laser disc decompression or, for chronic nerve pain, spinal cord stimulation, you will be told.
After the injection, and going home
For the first hours your leg or arm may feel numb or heavy, and the injection site may be sore; rest is advised. Light activities are usually fine within days, with heavy strain restricted for a short while. The specialist decides when you are fit to fly. On the flight, get up and walk when you can and drink water.
If you have diabetes, tell the specialist at the start: steroid injections can raise blood sugar, so monitor it closely for a few days and let your doctor at home know. Take the procedure report home for your GP. Follow-up continues by message and video call, and Turkey is only one hour ahead. Complications arising from treatment, and any revision that becomes clinically necessary, are covered for one year from the date of treatment by our treatment guarantee. If a claim is accepted, the treatment is carried out in İzmir by the treating team at no charge for that treatment, but flights and accommodation remain your responsibility, and the guarantee does not cover treatment by another provider after you return home.
Risks
Soreness at the injection site, infection, bleeding, headache, temporary numbness or weakness, raised blood sugar in people with diabetes, and incomplete relief are all possible.
See the spine surgery guide for South African patients and the orthopaedic surgery guide for South African patients for other options. Facts about the clinic are on the clinic facts page, and our complaints process explains how problems are handled.
What we will not do
We will not book an injection before a specialist has reviewed your scans, we will not promise how long relief will last, and we will not encourage you to fly from South Africa for an injection alone if it is unlikely to help.
Frequently asked questions
Is it worth travelling from South Africa just for an epidural steroid injection?
Usually not on its own. Relief can be temporary and repeat injections may be needed, so it makes most sense combined with a full spinal assessment or another planned treatment.
How long does the injection take?
The injection itself usually takes less than 30 minutes, although preparation and monitoring mean you spend longer at the clinic. You go home the same day.
How quickly will it work, and how long will relief last?
Some patients improve within several days, others gradually over one to two weeks. How long relief lasts varies and depends on the underlying condition.
Can I have an epidural steroid injection if I have diabetes?
Tell the specialist at the start. Steroid injections can raise blood sugar, so you will need to monitor it closely for a few days afterwards and keep your doctor at home informed.
Will my medical aid cover an epidural steroid injection in Turkey?
South African medical schemes generally do not cover planned treatment abroad, and standard travel insurance usually excludes it. Ask both specifically before you book.
Start with a free online consultation. Planning the trip? Read the guide for South African patients and the e-Visa guide.