Hello Shannon,
I have the steroid blocks done at the L2, L3, L4, and L5 sacral-lumbar levels. I go through this process because my doctor believes he needs to try everything in the book first. They don't work for me personally; I get a day or two of relief from the anesthetic thats administered but thats it. I hate them, too, because they have caused me to gain an extra ten pounds around my waist that I cannot get rid of no matter how hard I work out. All in all, I personally find them to be a waste. However, Shannon, its a very personal decision. Some people do get relief from them, but I think that the negatives outweight the positives outcomes. On the other hand, my Doctor is doing everything he can to make the Disk Fusion surgery an absolute last resort.
Honestly, my pain is mostly controlled through my medications. Because of that, I'll probably just stay where I am at for the moment, as I can always opt for the disk fusions surgery later on. Best of luck, Shannon....
PainKiller