Effects of epi
Effects of epidural injection of glucocorticoid and its
combination with bupivacaine in palliating chronic low back pain due to
discopathy
Mohammad Taghi Mortazavi1,
Naghi Abedini1, Iraj Lotfinia2, Abdorrahim Afkhamzadeh3,
Ali Delpisheh4, Reza Janmardi1*, Samad EJ Golzari5,6
1. Department of Anesthesiology, Tabriz University
of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
2. Department of Neurosurgery, Tabriz University of
Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
3. Department of Community Medicine, Kurdistan
University of Medical Sciences, Kurdistan Social Determinants of Health
Research Center, Sanandaj, Iran
4. Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Ilam University
of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran
5. Cardiovascular Research Center, Tabriz
University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
6. Students’ Research Committee, Tabriz University
of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Abstract: Chronic
low back pain is defined as consistent or pendulous pain over 3 months.
Epidural steroid injections (ESI) are common in treatment of chronic back pain.
The present study was aimed to investigate the effects of epidural injection of
glucocorticoid and bupivacaine compared to glucocorticoid alone in relieving
chronic back pain due to discopathy. A randomized clinical trial was performed
in the Shohada Medical Educational Center, Tabriz, Iran. Patients with chronic back
pain who were candidates for epidural drug injection were recruited. They were
divided into two groups of steroids or steroid and bupivacaine. Pain intensity,
Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Straight Leg Rising (SLR) test as well as
clinical variables were evaluated before treatment and 3th month thereafter.
Overall, 17 males and 23 females with a mean age ± SD of 47.54 ± 12.11 years
were enrolled in two equal groups. No significant difference was observed
between two groups in terms of gender and body mass index. In both groups, a
significant relationship was observed for ODI (p =0.001), pain intensity (p
=0.001), and SLR test (p=0.001) before and after treatment. However, the
corresponding association was not observed for ODI, pain intensity and SLR test
(p>0.05). Epidural steroid injections either alone or combined with
Bupivacaine with no priority are effectively relief chronic low back pain due
to discopathy.
[Mortazavi
M, Abedini N, Lotfinia I, Afkhamzadeh A, Delpisheh A, Janmardi R, Golzari SE. Effects
of epidural injection of glucocorticoid and its combination with Bupivacaine in
palliating chronic low back pain due to discopathy. Life Sci J 2013;10(1):816-820]. (ISSN:
1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite.com.
Keywords: Steroids, Bupivacaine, chronic low back pain
