A common treatment for back pain consists of epidural corticosteroid injections. However, according to a new research paper published on Tuesday, August 25, in the Annals of Internal Medicine, suggests that the therapy has limited benefits and could only be beneficial in the short term. The research was based on a review of 38 placebo-controlled studies.
According to reports, back pain is among the most common reasons people consult a doctor. The steroid injections are used to relieve pain from spinal and radiculopathy stenosis.
A medicine professor at Oregon Health & Science University and Director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Dr. Roger Chou and his team of researchers reviewed 8 trials involving spinal stenosis and 30 studies previous involving radiculopathy. The research team observed that pain subsided and function was restored by a fractional amount within weeks of receiving epidural corticosteroid treatment. However, the results were null within three months' time.
The corticosteroid treatments have a tendency to reduce the need for surgery, but this was also seen only within a few weeks' time and the scientists observed that the benefits disappeared within three months as well.
Researchers included various previous studies that involved caudal, interlaminar and transformational techniques of administering the steroids, as well as diverse types of placebo interventions, including soft tissue, local anesthetic and saline solution.
According to Dr. Chou, the bottom line was clearly showing that, no matter "how you slice up the data", the results were pointing out that the steroid injections are beneficial only over short term and their benefits are limited.
"We don't have good evidence on treatments in general, and when that's the case, people kind of turn to what is done," Chou said, "and these are therapies that have been administered for at least 30 or 40 years or longer," he added.
Chou added that these therapies were in place already for at least 30 or 40 years. He explained that his research team's findings are significant because previous reviews of the steroid injections treatment for lower back pain only looked at continuous outcomes and didn't take into consideration placebo techniques.
