Lumbar transforaminal epidural block for treatment of low back pain with radicular pain / 南方医科大学学报

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the efficacy of lumbar transforaminal epidural block (LTEB) for treatment of low back pain with radicular pain.@*METHODS@#We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 78 patients with low back pain and radicular pain admitted to the Department of Orthopedics of Beijing Chuiyangliu Hospital from March, 2017 to April, 2019. Thirty-three of the patients received treatment with LTEB (LTEB group), and 45 received comprehensive conservative treatment including traction, massage, acupuncture and physiotherapy (control group). The demographic and clinical data of the two groups were compared. The patients were followed up for 3 to 24 months, and numerical rating scale (NRS) and Oswestry disability index (ODI) scores of the patients were evaluated before the treatment and at 2 weeks, 1 month and 3 months after discharge to assess the efficacy of the treatment.@*RESULTS@#The mean operation time of LTEB was 25.7 7.5 min (15-45 min). After the operation, 5 patients developed weakness of the lower limbs but all recovered within 24-72 h. The patients receiving LTEB all showed significantly decreased NRS scores for low back and radicular pain and ODI scores after the operation (@*CONCLUSIONS@#As a minimally invasive approach, LTEB is effective for treatment of low back pain with radicular pain and can produce good short-term effects of pain relief and functional improvement.