Steroid Injection(s) Pre-“The MILD Procedure”

A summary of a study that appeared in the journal of Pain Management examines the positives of epidural steroid injections before a patient undergoes the mild^®Procedure, or minimally invasive lumbar decompression. The study compared results in patients who received no or 1 injection vs those who received 2 or more injections prior to mild. Researchers tracked results—at baseline and 1 week and then 3 months after the procedure—via the Visual Analog Scale.

Between the groups, there was no statistically significant difference in pain or level of improvement in the follow-up visits. However, of note: the research showed that, over 2 years, the mild Procedure is over 85% more cost effective than epidural steroid injections and “Giving more than one epidural steroid injection delays the patient from receiving a longer lasting, more effective mild Procedure.” The summary concluded, “Based on the results of the study, it is recommended that the standard treatment process for LSS patients be changed to give the mild Procedure either as soon as LSS is diagnosed or after the failure of the first epidural steroid injection.”

 

Click here for a summary of the article.

Read the journal article.

Other Categories:

• chronic pain

• failed back surgery syndrome

• low back pain

• Minimally invasive surgery

• spinal/spine