The effectiveness of erector spinae plane block in patients with chronic low back pain

I.E. Durmus, S. Surucu, A. Muz, S.A. Takmaz

Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Division of Algology, Health Sciences University, Antalya Training and Research Hospital, Antalya, Turkey. serkansurucu@outlook.com

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• Anesthesiology
• Orthopedics

OBJECTIVE: The erector spinae plane block (ESPB) has been widely used as a treatment strategy for a variety of acute and chronic painful conditions. The purpose of this study was to determine the analgesic efficacy of ESPB in patients with chronic low back pain and radicular symptoms who had lumbar disc herniation.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients aged 18 to 80 years who had chronic low back pain with radicular symptoms associated with pain from lumbar disc herniation and had undergone ESPB were included in the study retrospectively. As part of a routine clinical procedure, the patient’s age, gender, weight, height, body mass index, injection site, level of the injection, disc herniation level and visual analog scale score, Oswestry Disability Index, and five-point patient satisfaction questionnaire were recorded before and following the procedure.

RESULTS: A total of 96 patients were included in this study. The mean age was 52.28±14.12 and 55 (57.3%) of the patients were female. The mean visual analog scale value and Oswestry Disability Index score were significantly decreased consecutively after the procedure (p<0.05). The mean patient satisfaction questionnaire score increased gradually compared to the baseline scores (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that ESPB is an effective strategy to reduce the intensity of chronic low back pain with radicular symptoms in patients with lumbar disc herniation.

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