These injections are given on an out-patient basis and usually take 15 to 30 minutes to complete. The physician guides a needle into the epidural space (located within the spinal canal between the lamina and the sac around the nerve root called the dura mater or dura). Once the needle is in the correct position, the epidural steroid solution is slowly injected. Epidural injections use steroids as an anti-inflammatory agent and often include a fast-acting local anesthetic for temporary pain relief.