Articles: low-back-pain.
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Review Comparative Study
Efficacy of epidural steroids in low back pain and sciatica. A critical appraisal by a French Task Force of randomized trials. Critical Analysis Group of the French Society for Rheumatology.
Several randomized trials have suggested recently that epidural steroid injections may not be a valid treatment in common low back pain and sciatica. To clarify this issue, we conducted a critical appraisal of relevant randomized trials published up to 1997. Attention was directed to methodological quality, results, and clinical implications. ⋯ Whether epidural steroids are effective in common low back pain and sciatica cannot be determined based on our review.
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J Manipulative Physiol Ther · Feb 1999
ReviewLow back pain and the lumbar intervertebral disk: clinical considerations for the doctor of chiropractic.
Low back pain exists in epidemic proportions in the United States. Studies that demonstrate innervation to the intervertebral disk provide evidence that may account for instances of discogenic low back pain encountered in general medical and chiropractic practice. Many patients and health care practitioners believe that intervertebral disk lesions require surgery as the only method of treatment that will result in satisfactory outcome. Surgery rates vary widely across geographic regions. Only one randomized prospective study exists that compares surgical and nonsurgical treatment; it demonstrated essentially equal outcomes in the long run. ⋯ Patients should be screened for "red flags" to determine whether they are candidates for conservative treatment. Magnetic resonance imaging is perhaps the most practical imaging study for evaluation of lumbar disk lesions because it involves no use of ionizing radiation and because magnetic resonance imaging has other advantages over computed tomographic scanning such as excellent delineation of soft tissue structures, direct multiplanar imaging, and excellent characterization of medullary bone. Provocation computed tomography-diskography is an invasive procedure and should be reserved for patients with normal magnetic resonance imaging findings and continuing severe pain who have not been helped by conservative treatment attempts and for whom surgical intervention is contemplated. Both conservative and surgical interventions have been shown to be effective in the treatment of discogenic and radicular pain syndromes.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Feb 1999
Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical TrialEpidural steroids for treating "failed back surgery syndrome": is fluoroscopy really necessary?
Epidural steroids are commonly administered in the treatment of "failed back surgery syndrome." Because patient response is dependent on accurate steroid placement, fluoroscopic guidance has been advocated. However, because of ever-increasing medical expenditures, the cost-benefit of routine fluoroscopy should be critically evaluated. Therefore, 50 patients were enrolled into this institutional review board-approved, prospective, controlled, single-blinded study. At a predetermined intervertebral level, the epidural space was identified using an air loss of resistance technique. Thereafter, an epidural catheter was inserted 2 cm through the epidural needle. To determine the accuracy of the clinical placement, contrast medium was administered through the epidural catheter; antero-posterior and lateral lumbar spine radiographs were then obtained. The number of attempts required to successfully locate the epidural space, the reliability of the air loss of resistance technique in indicating successful epidural penetration in failed back surgery syndrome, the ability of the clinician to accurately predict the intervertebral space at which the epidural injection was performed, and the spread of contrast medium within the epidural space were recorded. A total of 48 epidurograms were performed. The number of attempts to successfully enter the epidural space was 2 +/- 1. In 44 cases, the radiological studies confirmed the clinical impression that the epidural space had been successfully identified. In three patients, the epidural catheter was in the paravertebral tissue. One myelogram was recorded. In 25 patients, the epidural catheter did not pass through the predetermined intervertebral space. In 35 cases, the contrast medium did not reach the level of pathology. ⋯ The clinical sign of loss of resistance is a reliable indicator of epidural space penetration in most cases of "failed back surgery syndrome." However, surface anatomy is unreliable and may result in inaccurate steroid placement. Finally, despite accurate placement, the depot-steroid solution will spread to reach the level of pathology in only 26% of cases.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
The effect of repeated epidural sympathetic nerve block on "failed back surgery syndrome" associated chronic low back pain.
To assess the therapeutic benefits of repeated epidural local anesthetic administration on pain perception and straight leg raise (SLR) in patients suffering from chronic low back pain. ⋯ 46 patients completed the study. VAS for pain was marginally lower in Group B. However, statistical significance was not demonstrated. During the hospitalization period, the SLR in both study groups significantly (0.008) improved with time. However, no difference between the groups was demonstrated. In both groups, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after discharge, the SLR was comparable to prestudy recordings. In Group B, at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after discharge, patient-generated VAS for pain were significantly (p = 0.002) higher when compared to pain scores at the time of patient discharge.
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J Orthop Sports Phys Ther · Feb 1999
Clinical usefulness of a cluster of sacroiliac joint tests in patients with and without low back pain.
Observation to examine the clinical usefulness of a cluster of sacroiliac joint tests. ⋯ The results of this study show that using a cluster of sacroiliac joint tests can be useful in identifying sacroiliac joint dysfunction in patients with low back pain.