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Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society 2003;34(2): 110-114. |
The Effect of Combined Nerve Block for Low Back Pain. |
Tae Hoon Lee, Young Sul Yoon, Dong Kyu Chin, Yong Eun Cho, Young Soo Kim |
Department of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea. ysyoon@yumc.yonsei.ac.kr |
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ABSTRACT |
OBJECTIVE At present, epidural steroid injection is one of the most frequently used method in the treatment for low back pain. But this method is nonspecific and results in a widespread of injected agent around the target point. So, we introduce combined nerve block and had good results. METHODS The authors evaluated the effects of combined nerve block in 153 patients with low back pain, retrospectively.
They had spinal stenosis, facet syndrome, herniated lumbar disc and failed back surgery syndrome. We operated combined nerve block to patients respectively, that is caudal block, facet block and iliolumbar & sacroiliac joint block. We used Depomedrol(R) 80mg in 2ml and 2% Emcaine(R) 400mg in 20ml as injection agents, Visual analog scale(VAS) for assessment of the effect was used. RESULTS Six months after nerve block, the outcome of treatment for back pain was cured(a decrease in VAS score from 4 and over to 3 and under) in 35.3%, improved(a decrease in VAS score but 4 and over) in 32.7% and unchanged(no change in VAS score) in 32.0%. Overall rate of improvement was 68.0%. CONCLUSION We think that combined nerve block is more specific and effective in patients with low back pain.
Therefore, this technique could be alternative method to epidural steroid injection. |
Key Words:
Low back pain; Combined nerve block |
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