• Gavin Kolodge, Laura S Gold, Jeffrey G Jarvik, Judith Turner, Ryan N Hansen, Patrick J Heagerty, Pradeep Suri, and Janna Friedly.
• Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
• Spine. 2023 Apr 1; 48 (7): 445451445-451.

Study DesignSecondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial.ObjectiveTo assess how baseline treatment with opioids is associated with pain and function in older adults with lumbar spinal stenosis who receive epidural injections.Summary Of Background DataData were obtained from the Lumbar Epidural Steroid injections for Spinal Stenosis trial, a double-blind, multisite, randomized controlled trial.MethodsBaseline treatment with opioids was assessed from electronic medical record prescription pharmacy data or from health utilization records collected from patients. We calculated adjusted changes in back pain numerical rating scale, leg pain numerical rating scale, and back-related disability (Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire scores) from baseline to three weeks and to six weeks among patients treated and not treated with opioids at baseline using generalized linear regression.ResultsBaseline treatment with opioids was not significantly associated with back pain intensity (adjusted difference in means at three weeks of follow-up between patients treated with opioids at baseline versus not [±95% CI, 0.1 (-0.7, 0.7)], leg pain intensity [-0.2 (-0.9, 0.4)], or back-related function [-0.8 (-2.1, 0.4)]. We found similar results at six weeks of follow-up.ConclusionsAmong older adults with lumbar spinal stenosis who are receiving epidural injections, those treated with opioids at baseline had similar outcomes to those who were not.Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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