The treatment of sciatica is challenging, since there are currently no reliably effective treatments. Despite dozens of placebo-controlled studies evaluating epidural steroid injections (ESI) and gabapentin, no head-to-head comparative-effectiveness studies have been conducted. This is surprising, as previous analyses have underscored the need for comparative-effectiveness studies comparing ESI to different modes of treatment for patients presenting with lumbar radiculopathy spine pain.
Up to 142 patients referred to a participating pain clinics with lumbosacral radiculopathy will be randomized and included in this study.
Chronic neck pain is a major cause of disability in the world, with a 12-month prevalence rate between 30% – 50%. Both epidural steroid injections and conservative treatment are frequently utilized to treat cervical radiculopathy, but no study has ever sought to determine which treatment (or their combination) is superior. This study design is similar to Project 4, but examines a separate, but relevant anatomical location of the spine.
This is a randomized, open-label, comparative-effectiveness study comparing cervical ESI, conservative treatment consisting of pharmacotherapy and physical therapy, or combination treatment, for cervical radicular pain. Up to one hundred and sixty-eight patients referred to the our pain management clinics will be included in this study.