Der Orthopäde
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Nerve root blocks and epidural perineural injections are main part in the conservative treatment of degenerative spine diseases. These injections should be done without imaging because degenerative spine diseases - discogenic oder spinal stenotic - tend to recurrence and danger arises from too many imaging with cumulative ionizing radiation over the years, especially in younger people. ⋯ Repetitive periradicular injections desensitize the nerve root by local anesthetics and reduce its inflammatory swelling by steroids. The decompensated symptomatic deformity turns back into an asymptomatic compensated status.
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The orthopedist can choose from three classes of drugs to relieve pain. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) possess sufficient analgetic efficacy, but they are hampered by often causing gastrointestinal pain and bleeding. Opioids are strong analgetics that can be successfully used against strong pain. ⋯ Because of the risk of damage to white blood cells leading to agranulocytosis with foudroyant infections their use should be strictly limited to conditions that justify such a risk like tumor or colic pain. The aniline derivative acetaminophen (= paracetamol) is well tolerated and is the drug of choice in usual common pain. Large doses are to be avoided because of liver damage, especially in children.