According to a new study, steroid injection or spinal epidural injections may offer relief from lower back pain due to a ruptured disc but the relief could be brief and not lasting.
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However, there has been a degree of confusion regarding the beneficial effects of epidural corticosteroid injections, some claiming that there was no pain relief, whereas other stated that these steroid shots would be beneficial, all in all. Researcher have gone over 38 studies regarding cases of herniated disc, spinal stenosis and other conditions, analyzing the benefits of injections versus the placebo effect. Chou said.
But for the long run, epidural steroids injections had no better effects than a placebo, as researchers have noticed, and the patient’s need for surgery was not reduced at all.
The research team also found that there weren’t any improvements in patients if they used different types of steroids or injection methods.
According to senior author of the study Dr. Roger Chou from Oregon Science and Health University, this recommended course of treatment isn’t as effective as previously perceived.
Specifically, the researchers looked at how epidural corticosteroid injections impacted patients’ pain, function and risk for surgery.
Dr. Chou emphasized that in spite of the immediate pain relief, the patients need to understand and weigh the short-term benefits against potential side-effects, such as nerve injury or infection. They aren’t without their risks either – some minor complications included blood clots, bleeding, and nerve root irritation.
Dr. Chou regretted to inform that “there are not a lot of great treatments for these conditions besides surgery, so the options for treatment are limited”.
Epidural corticosteroid injections are among the most studied treatments in medical research, so previous reviews on their efficacy have varied, said Steven P. Cohen, a professor of anesthesiology and critical care medicine, and physical medicine and rehabilitation at Johns Hopkins University, who wasn’t involved in the study.
He noted, however, that the aim of epidural corticosteroid injections is to improve short-term symptoms and quality of life for the patient, not to provide a long-term cure.
The doctor also added that steroid injections are more effective when combined with other treatment methods such as physical therapy and prescription drugs.
“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”.
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The question now stands as to why it would be worth offering the temporary option then, but patients are often frightened of surgery and might resort to any means to avoid it. However, they are advised not to fool themselves into thinking it’s a permanent solution to a common problem.
