Objective: To investigate whether there is a difference in Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores in those patients with lumbar radiculopathy who receive either an interlaminar (LESI) or a transforaminal (TFESI) lumbar epidural steroid injection to the epidural space. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Pre- and post-ODI self-assessment questionnaires for patients who had either LESI (n=25) or TFESI (n=24) were reviewed after a follow-up at a mean of 8.6 weeks. Setting: Outpatient pain management center in a Veterans Administration hospital. Participants: 49 patients with lumbar radiculopathy were evaluated for ESI. Intervention: Lumbar ESI. Main Outcome Measure: ODI. Results: Pre-ODI scores for LESI ± SD (50.48±15) and TFESI (50.42±15) did not differ significantly (P>.05). Of the 49 subjects (mean age, 62y) screened, 26 improved according to the ODI while 23 did not improve or worsened. Of the improved patients, the post-ODI scores of 11 LESI patients and 12 TFESI patients did not differ significantly from their pre-ODI scores (P>.05). ODI change between TFESI (12.5±12.8) and LESI scores (9.5±5.7) differed significantly (t=-.744, P=.047). Conclusions: 50% of patients showed improved ODI scores after epidurals, and there appears to be a difference in the ODI scores of patients with lumbar radiculopathy who received the TFESI approach to the epidural space when compared with LESI approach. Because ODI scores changed more than 10 points, TFESI may lead to better functional rehabilitation outcomes in patients with radiculopathy symptoms. A larger cohort of subjects must be evaluated to confirm this finding and stricter criteria for spine pathology should be used in such an evaluation.