Epidural Steroid Injections Do Not Help Chronic Sciatica

 As a chiropractor who works with other health providers including anesthesiologists, orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons it is essential to keep up on the latest news and research available. One recent MedpageToday article particularly caught my interest with respect to back pain and treatment options.

 Inflammation is a common problem, not only in society-at-large, but with back pain as well. One of the more invasive methods of dealing with back pain is through the administration of epidural cortisone injections into problematic regions of the spine. This can provide some relief for patients for varying lengths of time. For sciatica, or irritation of the sciatic nerve, this meta-analysis revealed that patients derive "minimal benefit from epidural corticosteroids."

 The data collected revealed that there was small, but statistically significant short-term pain improvement for patients with leg pain, but the long-term effects were modest and did not achieve statistical significance. Patients were either administered corticosteroid or placebo through injection.

 Again, speaking as a chiropractor who refers non-responsive patients for this form of treatment, it is worth noting that chronic sciatic sufferers may have limited options when all forms of conservative therapy have failed. It makes it all the more important to treat the cause of the problem, not mask it through a combination of pharmacological interventions and injections.

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Neurology/GeneralNeurology/35927