Abstract
Aim: Low back pain affects many people at some point in their life. Whenever pharmacologic and other conservative treatments of chronic pain fail, ablative and interventional methods are attempted on the assumption that interrupting nerve conduction prevents central pain cognition. Pulsed radiofrequency using multifunctional epidural electrodes can be used for multiple etiologies of chronic low back and leg pain with a low complication rate and minimal side effects. Methods: The records of the 188 patients who underwent pulsed radiofrequency with multifunctional epidural electrode between October 2014 and March 2017 in Algology clinic were examined retrospectively. Visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain, response to straight leg raising test (SLR), lumbar range of motion, analgesic use, patient satisfaction score, need for open operation or other interventional procedure were collected.Results: VAS and SLR tests were found to be significantly improved compared with the preoperative values. The VAS scores at the 10th day and first, third and sixth months were significantly decreased compared to baseline scores (p<0.001). Also, SLR tests were significantly improved compared to baseline scores at the same intervals (p<0.001).Conclusion: Pulsed radiofrequency with multifunctional epidural electrode is a safe and effective method for low back pain which is caused by several pathologies.
Highlights
Low back pain is a condition that affects many people in a certain period of their lives
Patients who had low back pain with unilateral/bilateral radicular pain due to various aetiologies, who had no improvement of pain despite medical treatment and other standard treatment methods, and who were regarded as Class I-III according to the American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) classification were included in the study
We investigated post-procedure Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores, response to straight leg raise (SLR) test, range of motion (ROM) of the lumbar joints, use of analgesics, and patient satisfaction level, and whether the patient had any operation or invasive procedure after pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) with multifunctional epidural electrode
Summary
Low back pain is a condition that affects many people in a certain period of their lives. Low back pain has the highest prevalence in people aged from 40 to 80 years and it has been observed that the prevalence of chronic low back pain has changed over the years due to the change in lifestyles and technology. Two studies have shown that the prevalence of chronic low back pain has doubled over time [3,4]. This may be a reflection of the essential changes in the business world and lifestyles. Extensive use of computers and other technologies in the workplace and at home has increased sedentariness, which is a risk factor for acute and chronic low back pain due to muscle weakness [5]
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