ABSTRACT
Introduction: About 85% of the population experience low back pain during adulthood and annual incidence is 5 to 15% with no gender discrimination
Design: Quasi intervention experimental study
Setting: DHQ teaching Hospital and at Fazil Memorial Hospital Gujranwala
Period: November 2010 to November 2012 [two years]
Material and Methods: Hundred patient fulfilling the inclusion criteria with SYMPTOMATIC LUMBER DISC herniation were selected. Efficacy was determined by improvement in Denis Pain scale and Mcnab's functional criteria. Safety was determined by absence / rareness of complications i.e spinal anesthesia, transient hypotension, and paresthesia, difficulty in voiding, infection and meningitis. Follow up was weekly for 6 weeks
Results: Out of hundred cases 53 were gents and 47 were ladies. Mean age was 37.56 [22-50 yrs]. Maximum cases 72% were in third decade of life. Maximum pain relief was noted after three weeks of first injection, 72% of the cases were either having no or mild pain. Functional recovery was excellent in 44% and good in 40% of the patients. Complications were fewer and mild, Spinal anesthesia in 2%, transient hypotension in 3%. Paresthesia in 8% and 10% of the patient developed supra pubic fullness but only one needed catheterization. Infection and meningitis was not observed in any case
Conclusions: Caudal epidural steroids injection is safe and effective mode of treating lumbar disc herniation