Epidural Steroid Injections for Low Back Pain: A Narrative Review

Massimiliano Carassiti, Giuseppe Pascarella, Alessandro Strumia, Fabrizio Russo, Giuseppe Francesco Papalia, Rita Cataldo, Francesca Gargano, Fabio Costa, Michelangelo Pierri, Francesca De Tommasi, Carlo Massaroni, Emiliano Schena and Felice Eugenio Agrò
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Massimiliano Carassiti: Unit of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Management, Department of Medicine, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, 00128 Rome, Italy
Giuseppe Pascarella: Unit of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Management, Department of Medicine, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, 00128 Rome, Italy
Alessandro Strumia: Unit of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Management, Department of Medicine, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, 00128 Rome, Italy
Fabrizio Russo: Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, 00128 Rome, Italy
Giuseppe Francesco Papalia: Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, 00128 Rome, Italy
Rita Cataldo: Unit of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Management, Department of Medicine, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, 00128 Rome, Italy
Francesca Gargano: Unit of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Management, Department of Medicine, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, 00128 Rome, Italy
Fabio Costa: Unit of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Management, Department of Medicine, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, 00128 Rome, Italy
Michelangelo Pierri: Integrated Sleep Surgery Team UCBM, Unit of Otolaryngology, Integrated Therapies in Otolaryngology, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, 00128 Rome, Italy
Francesca De Tommasi: Unit of Measurements and Biomedical Instrumentation, Department of Engineering, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, 00128 Rome, Italy
Carlo Massaroni: Unit of Measurements and Biomedical Instrumentation, Department of Engineering, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, 00128 Rome, Italy
Emiliano Schena: Unit of Measurements and Biomedical Instrumentation, Department of Engineering, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, 00128 Rome, Italy
Felice Eugenio Agrò: Unit of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Management, Department of Medicine, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, 00128 Rome, Italy

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 19, issue 1, 1-17

Abstract: Low back pain represents a significant socioeconomic burden. Several nonsurgical medical treatments have been proposed for the treatment of this disabling condition. Epidural steroid injections (ESIs) are commonly used to treat lumbosacral radicular pain and to avoid surgery. Even though it is still not clear which type of conservative intervention is superior, several studies have proved that ESIs are able to increase patients’ quality of life, relieve lumbosacral radicular pain and finally, reduce or delay more invasive interventions, such as spinal surgery. The aim of this narrative review is to analyze the mechanism of action of ESIs in patients affected by low back pain and investigate their current application in treating this widespread pathology.

Keywords: epidural steroid injections; low back pain; lumbosacral radicular pain; disk herniation; canal stenosis; review (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2021:i:1:p:231-:d:711376

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