Interventional pain therapy. Results of a survey among specialized pain physicians in Germany

Abstract

Interventional pain therapy aims to treat pain which is refractory to pharmacologic and noninterventional treatment. Due to the partly lacking evidence and recommendations it remains unclear when interventional methods should be applied within the treatment pathway. This study assesses the current state of interventional methods in Germany and their leading indications comparing with the recommendations found in the literature. An online survey was conducted among German physicians specialized in pain therapy concerning the number of interventions they perform per quarter, which supporting measures they use, and their indications for sympathetic blocks, sensory blocks, intrathecal administration, and spinal cord stimulation. A total of 109 physicians (23.5 %) participated in the survey. Blocks are most often performed on the stellate ganglion (94 %) and on the superior cervical ganglion (82 %). They are supported by anatomical landmarks and less often by imaging control. Both classic neuropathic pain diagnoses (e.g., complex regional pain syndrome) and diagnoses with a neuropathic pain component (e.g., peripheral arterial disease, tumor pain, and back pain) were considered as indications to perform interventional procedures. Although there is no clear evidence on interventional procedures in the current literature, these methods are often performed by the respondents. Anatomic landmarks are most frequently used for orientation. The German pain physicians who responded consider especially neuropathic pain as an indication to perform interventional procedures for pain therapy.