Epidural injections for chronic simple low back pain
- Report By: Simon Carley - Consultant in Emergency Medicine
- Institution: Manchester Royal Infirmary
- Date Submitted: 18th June 2005
- Last Modified: 20th July 2005
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Status:
Blue (submitted but not checked)
Three Part Question
[In patients with chronic simple low back pain] are [epidural injections better than standard rehabilitation] at [reducing pain and improving function]Clinical Scenario
A 55 year old woman represents to her general practitioner with back pain of 3 years duration. Previous assessments and investigations have not suggested a serious cause of her back pain but it so severe that she has had to give up work and has become depressed. She attends as she has read on the internet that she can have an epidural to relieve her pain. She asks you if this is true and if so could you refer her for the treatment.Search Strategy
Cochrane databse of systematic reviewsMedline 1966-June 2005 on OVID via Athens
Medline
[exp INJECTIONS, EPIDURAL/ or exp ANALGESIA, EPIDURAL/] and [low back pain.mp. or exp Low Back Pain/ or exp Back Pain/ or lumbar pain.mp.] limit to [humans and english language and abstracts]
Cochrane: "epidural" and "lumbar"