I was quite surprised when I had my first spinal epidural (in my cervical area) and it actually hurt! I wasn't expecting that. But I went ahead and had two more. The first actually hurt the most, maybe because I wasn't expecting it....But I had each shot given by a different doctor and maybe some were more skilled than others.

I would like to hear what else you've had done to help with the pain. Do you take pain meds? I'm taking a bunch now and they aren't totally satisfactory. My next step is trying physical therapy. I have osteoarthritis, and as a result have stenosis and impingement on my spinal cord. All three areas of my spine are painful, alas.