European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Cervical radiculopathy: pain, muscle weakness and sensory loss in patients with cervical radiculopathy treated with surgery, physiotherapy or cervical collar. A prospective, controlled study.
This prospective, randomised study compares the efficacy of surgery, physiotherapy and cervical collar with respect to pain, motor weakness and sensory loss in 81 patients with long-lasting cervical radiculopathy corresponding to a nerve root that was significantly compressed by spondylotic encroachment, with or without an additional bulging disk, as verified by MRI or CT-myelography. Pain intensity was registered on a visual analogue scale (VAS), muscle strength was measured by a hand-held dynamometer, Vigorometer and pinchometer. Sensory loss and paraesthesia were recorded. ⋯ With respect to absolute muscle strength of the affected sides, there were no differences at control 1. At control 2, the surgery group performed some-what better than the two other groups but at control 3 there were no differences between the groups. We conclude that pain intensity, muscle weakness and sensory loss can be expected to improve within a few months after surgery, while slow improvement with conservative treatments and recurrent symptoms in the surgery group make the 1-year results about equal.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Lumbar epidural perineural injection: a new technique.
Two controlled studies for a new epidural, perineural, single-shot, selective nerve root injection with a double-needle approach to the anterior epidural space of the lumbar spinal canal are presented. The results were analysed to determine the effectiveness of the new epidural perineural injection technique. The trial comprised two controlled studies on 182 patients. ⋯ There were no severe complications or side effects in any of the three groups. The studies concluded that single-shot epidural perineural injection is effective in the treatment of lumbar radicular pain. It is a "one drop only" therapy to the source of pain.