What’s Best for Chronic Pain Post Spinal Surgery?

This study of chronic pain experienced after spinal surgery, published in the Journal of Pain Research, compared fluoroscopy (FL)-guided transforaminal (TF) to caudal (CA) epidural steroid injection (ESI), assessing pain relief levels and functionality improvement. Both methods have been shown to be efficacious, but they have not been compared to each other.

The study concluded that outcomes from both patient groups—21 in the fluoroscopy, 28 in the transforaminal—“are similar in terms of pain reduction and functional improvements. CA-ESI is associated with lesser procedure time. In addition, compared with the TF-ESI, the patient experiences less discomfort during the injection, and the satisfaction with the injection treatment is confirmed to be better. Accordingly, both methods are effective; however, in the CA approach, patient satisfaction is higher and the procedure time is shorter.”

Read the journal article.

Other Categories:

• failed back surgery syndrome

• Surgery