A team of doctors from around the U.S. released a finding on Tuesday that some spinal injections may have a limited effect on back pain for those suffering from lumbosacral radiculopathy. The study, which was carried out between 2008 and 2011, compared the effectiveness of epidural steroids, etanercept, and saline amongst 84 adults.
Each of the patients had been diagnosed with the condition no longer than six months prior and they were broken into three groups—one group to receive each treatment. They were administered the treatments every two weeks. After one month, each participant reported their level of pain and those who reported improvements continued on for six months.
Overall, epidural steroids showed the greatest relief in both back and leg pain, though improvements in back pain were incremental.
"Epidural steroid injections may provide modest short-term pain relief for some adults with lumbosacral radiculopathy, but larger studies with longer follow-up are needed to confirm their benefits," the researchers note in their report.
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