| Clinical Effect of Selective Nerve Root Block for Spinal Pain |
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Jae Chang Song, Young Soo Kim |
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Department of Neurosurgery, Hanyang University Medical Center, Seoul, Korea |
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| Abstract |
Objective
Spinal injections have an important role in many centers in the treatment of patient with various spinal pain. However it would be more important to determine whether the nerve root blocks act merely as a temporizing measure or have a more permanent effect. The purpose of our current study was to review the effect of selective nerve root blocks at a minimum 3 months after initial treatment.
Method: 72 selective nerve root blocks were performed from January 2005 to June 2006. All selective nerve root blocks in this study were performed by using a previously described technique. Under local anesthesia and fluoroscopy observation, patients placed as prone position. Steroid mixed fluid was injected at causing nerve root. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores were measured at immediate after injection, 3 days, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks.
Results
The average follow up was 13 months. The block levels were most common in L5 and S1 roots. Low back pain and radiating leg pain was significantly reduced immediate after injection in most cases. But these relief effects were not lasted long. After 12 weeks from initial injections, many patients complained recurred neurological symptoms. Nonetheless, 12 patients had good outcomes and pain reduction rates were over 50 percent.
Conclusion
In our study, there was no long term statistical significant effect in selective nerve root block. But if the indications are suitable as definitive single root cause, the long term effect would be good. |
| Key Words:
Selective nerve root block, Spinal pain, Visual analogue scale, Outcome. |
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