scholarly journals Fluoroscopy-Guided Intra-Articular Facet Joint Steroid Injection for the Management of Low Back Pain: Therapeutic Effectiveness and Arthrographic Pattern

2015 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sujin Kim ◽  
Joon Woo Lee ◽  
Jee Won Chai ◽  
Guen Young Lee ◽  
Ja Yeon You ◽  
...  
2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 1266-1281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajni Vekaria ◽  
Ree’thee Bhatt ◽  
David R. Ellard ◽  
Nicholas Henschke ◽  
Martin Underwood ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
pp. 52-54
Author(s):  
Ravi Ranjan Singh ◽  
Bharat Singh

INTRODUCTION: Low-back pain is a common clinical presentation of herniated lumbar disc. The incidence of low back pain is high in our country due to difcult working and living environment. The initial treatment of low back pain is conservative. Epidural steroid injection (ESI) is being slowly established as a simple, effective and minimally invasive treatment modality. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of epidural steroid injection for low back and radicular pain. MATERIALS AND METHODS :This is a Prospective observational study. It was carried out on the patients presenting with low back pain due to herniated lumbar disc not responding to conservational management and had Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) proven lumbar disc prolapsed at different level. Injection Methyl prednisolone 80 mg and 2 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine was diluted in 8 ml of normal saline and injected into the affected lumbar epidural space. The functional status of the patient and the severity of pain were evaluated before injection and after injection during the follow-up period by using Ostrewy disability index and visual analogue score. RESULTS: Fifty six patients received the epidural steroid injections, among them three patients did not came for regular follow up till six months and six patients required surgery . remaining forty seven were analyzed , among them 27(55.44%) were male and 20(42.55%) were female. The functional status and pain response of the patients were improved signicantly during all the follow-up periods (p < 0.001). The success rate of this study was 83.92%. No major complications were encountered. CONCLUSION:The ESI is a simple, safe, effective and minimally invasive modality for the management of lumbar radicular pain.


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vikram B Patel

Lumbar or lower back pain is a very debilitating condition that affects  almost one fifth of the adult population during a given year. Almost everyone walking on two feet is bound to suffer from some back pain during their lifetime. The health care burden for treating low back pain is enormous, especially if the lost work hours are combined with the amount used in diagnosing and treating low back pain. Lumbar facet (zygapophysial) joints are one of the major components involved in causing lower back pain. Diagnosing the pain generator is more of an art than a science. Combining various parameters in the patient’s history, physical examination, and diagnostic studies is not much different from solving a murder mystery. Although facet joint pain may be accompanied by other pain generators, that is, lumbar intervertebral disks, nerve roots, and vertebral bodies, once treated, the relief in pain is more helpful in performing proper rehabilitation and improving further deterioration in low back pain. Muscles are almost always painful due to myofascial pain syndrome that accompanies the facet joint–related pain. Treating one without addressing the other leads to failure in management and optimization of patient’s pain and function. Several treatments are available for treatment of facet joint–mediated pain, including steroid injections using a miniscule amount and radiofrequency ablation of the nerves supplying the facet joints (medial branches of the dorsal primary ramus of the lumbar nerve root). With proper diagnosis and treatment, a patient’s pain and function can be optimized to a level where it may not impact the day-to-day activities or even resumption of the patient’s routine job function. The following review describes the anatomy, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of lumbar facet joint–mediated pain.   Key words: facet joint pain, facet joint syndrome, low back pain, medial branch radiofrequency, spondylolisthesis


2008 ◽  
Vol 2;11 (3;2) ◽  
pp. 121-132
Author(s):  
Laxmaiah Manchikanti

Background: Lumbar facet joints have been implicated as the source of chronic pain in 15% to 45% of patients with chronic low back pain. Various therapeutic techniques including intraarticular injections, medial branch blocks, and radiofrequency neurotomy of lumbar facet joint nerves have been described in the alleviation of chronic low back pain of facet joint origin. Objective: The study was conducted to determine the clinical effectiveness of therapeutic local anesthetic lumbar facet joint nerve blocks with or without steroid in managing chronic function-limiting low back pain of facet joint origin. Design: A randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. Setting: An interventional pain management setting in the United States. Methods: This study included 60 patients in Group I with local anesthetic and 60 patients in Group II with local anesthetic and steroid. The inclusion criteria was based on the positive response to the diagnostic controlled comparative local anesthetic lumbar facet joint blocks. Outcome measures: Numeric pain scores, Oswestry Disability Index, opioid intake, and work status. All outcome assessments were performed at baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months. Results: Significant improvement with significant pain relief (> 50%) and functional improvement (> 40%) were observed in 82% and 85% in Group I, with significant pain relief in over 82% of the patients and improvement in functional status in 78% of the patients. Based on the results of the present study, it appears that patients may experience significant pain relief 44 to 45 weeks of 1 year, requiring approximately 3 to 4 treatments with an average relief of 15 weeks per episode of treatment. Conclusion: Therapeutic lumbar facet joint nerve blocks, with or without steroid, may provide a management option for chronic function-limiting low back pain of facet joint origin. Key words: Chronic low back pain, lumbar facet or zygapophysial joint pain, facet joint nerve or medial branch blocks, comparative controlled local anesthetic blocks, therapeutic lumbar facet joint nerve blocks


2012 ◽  
Vol 6;15 (6;12) ◽  
pp. E869-E907
Author(s):  
Frank J.E. Falco

Background: Lumbar facet joints are a well recognized source of low back pain and referred pain in the lower extremity in patients with chronic low back pain. Conventional clinical features and other non-invasive diagnostic modalities are unreliable in diagnosing lumbar zygapophysial joint pain. Controlled diagnostic studies with at least 80% pain relief as the criterion standard have shown the prevalence of lumbar facet joint pain to be 16% to 41% of patients with chronic low back pain without disc displacement or radiculitis, with a false-positive rate of 17% to 49% with a single diagnostic block. Study Design: A systematic review of the diagnostic accuracy of lumbar facet joint nerve blocks. Objective: To determine and update the diagnostic accuracy of lumbar facet joint nerve blocks in the assessment of chronic low back pain. Methods: A methodological quality assessment of included studies was performed using Quality Appraisal of Reliability Studies (QAREL). Only diagnostic accuracy studies meeting at least 50% of the designated inclusion criteria were utilized for analysis. Studies scoring less than 50% are presented descriptively and analyzed critically. The level of evidence was classified as good, fair, and limited or poor based on the quality of evidence developed by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). Data sources included relevant literature identified through searches of PubMed and EMBASE from 1966 to June 2012, and manual searches of the bibliographies of known primary and review articles. Outcome Measures: Studies must have been performed utilizing controlled local anesthetic blocks. Pain relief was categorized as at least 50% pain relief from baseline pain and the ability to perform previously painful movements. Results: A total of 25 diagnostic accuracy studies were included. Of these, one study evaluated 50% to 74% relief as criterion standard with a single block with prevalence of 48%, 4 studies evaluated 75% to 100% relief as the criterion standard with a single block with a prevalence of 31% to 61%, 5 studies evaluated 50% to 74% relief as the criterion standard with controlled blocks with a prevalence of 15% to 61%, and 13 studies evaluated 75% to 100% relief as the criterion standard with controlled blocks with a prevalence of 25% to 45% in heterogenous populations. False-positive rates ranged from 17% to 66% in the 50% to 74% pain relief group and 27% to 49% with at least 75% relief as the criterion standard. Based on this evaluation, the evidence showed that there is good evidence for diagnostic facet joint nerve blocks with 75% to 100% pain relief as the criterion standard with dual blocks and fair evidence with 50% to 74% pain relief as the criterion standard with controlled diagnostic blocks; however, the evidence is poor with single diagnostic blocks of 50% to 74%, and limited for 75% or more pain relief as the criterion standard. Limitations: The shortcomings of this systematic review of the accuracy of diagnostic lumbar facet joint nerve blocks include a paucity of literature and continued debate on an appropriate gold standard. Conclusion: There is good evidence for diagnostic facet joint nerve blocks with 75% to 100% pain relief as the criterion standard with dual blocks, with fair evidence with 50% to 74% pain relief. Key words: Chronic low back pain, lumbar facet or zygapophysial joint pain, facet joint nerve blocks, medial branch blocks, controlled comparative local anesthetic blocks


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