Prolonged pain relief following selective nerve root infiltration

Objectives: To evaluate the long-term efficacy of selective nerve root infiltration with local anesthetic and steroid for low-back syndromes and to identify factors which may enhance the long-term success of this procedure. Study-design: Survival analysis of the period of pain relief following a successful selective nerve root infiltration with local anesthetic and steroid for low-back syndromes. Patients and Methods: A total of 102 consecutive patients were screened, who were treated with selective nerve root infiltration with local anesthetic and steroid for low-back syndromes. Patients considered as having clinical benefit from selective nerve root infiltration and who did not experience a relapse of their complaints in the follow-up period were included for an assessment by questionnaire. Results: Two months following therapy, 48% of the patients undergoing selective nerve root infiltration with local anesthetic and steroid for low-back syndromes reported an improvement of their pain complaints. One year after selective nerve root infiltration, continuing pain relief occurred in 49% of the successfully treated patients and decreased to 41% of the patients two years after treatment. Conclusions: Selective nerve root infiltration with local anesthetic and steroid can be a useful treatment of low-back syndromes not responding to conventional therapy, especially in patients with severe intervertebral disc space narrowing at L5-S1 on lumbar radiographs.

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