Korean J Pain.  2006 Jun;19(1):72-76. 10.3344/kjp.2006.19.1.72.

A Comparison of the Efficacy of Epidural Steroid Injections in Terms of the Dosages and Frequency of Triancinolone Injections for the Pain Related to Lumbar Spinal Stenosis or Herniated Disks

• Hwang BM
• Hwang BS

• KMID: 2278019
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3344/kjp.2006.19.1.72

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to describe the extent of pain relief after an epidural steroid injection in the patients suffering from chronic low back pain from herniated disks or lumbar spinal stenosis.
METHODS
The study was prospectively designed for patients suffering with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) and herniated disks (HD) who were referred to a hospital-based pain clinic for epidural steroid injections (ESI). The pain was assessed with using a visual analog scale at baseline, two weeks after the first ESI and two weeks after the third ESI.
RESULTS
Eighty patients were enrolled, and all of them provided pain ratings before and after the injections. The LSS patients seemed to improve less than did the HD patients. The results showed no significant differences in the triamcinolone dosage and the frequency of injections for determining the efficacy of ESI.
CONCLUSIONS
The LSS patients tended to have a less effective respond to ESIs than did the HD patients. The unsatisfactory response to ESI by the LSS patients underscores the need for randomized controlled trials of performing ESI in this population.

Keyword

epidural steroid injection; herniated disks; lumbar spinal stenosis; triamcinolone

MeSH Terms

Humans
Intervertebral Disc Displacement*
Low Back Pain
Pain Clinics
Prospective Studies
Spinal Stenosis*
Triamcinolone
Visual Analog Scale
Triamcinolone