Trial reportInternational journal of medical sciences2014
Two-year follow-up results of fluoroscopic cervical epidural injections in chronic axial or discogenic neck pain: a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial.
Trial report in International journal of medical sciences, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
19 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 57 citations in OpenAlex.
- Clinical Efficacy of Epidural Injections of Local Anesthetic Alone or Combined with Steroid for Neck Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.BioMed research international · 2022Pooled it
- Collagenase Chemonucleolysis for Treating Cervical Disc Herniation: An Exploratory, Single-Arm, Open-Label, Multicenter Clinical Trial.Pain and therapy · 2025Article
- Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injection for Patients with Lumbosacral Disc Herniation in the Absence of Spine Magnetic Resonance Imaging - Is Better Really the Enemy of the Best?Journal of pain research · 2023Article
- Feasibility of Using the Epidural Space Detecting Device (EPI-DetectionJournal of clinical medicine · 2020Article
- Intervertebral disc herniation in elite athletes.International orthopaedics · 2019Review
- Patient-Reported Outcomes and Satisfaction after Cervical Epidural Steroid Injection for Cervical Radiculopathy.Galen medical journal · 2019Article
- Comparison of effectiveness for fluoroscopic cervical interlaminar epidural injections with or without steroid in cervical post-surgery syndrome.The Korean journal of pain · 2018Article
- Optimal area of lateral mass mini-screws implanted in plated cervical laminoplasty: a radiography anatomy study.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 · 2017Article
- Effects of applying nerve blocks to prevent postherpetic neuralgia in patients with acute herpes zoster: a systematic review and meta-analysis.The Korean journal of pain · 2017Review
- Article
- Effect of Cervical Interlaminar Epidural Steroid Injection: Analysis According to the Neck Pain Patterns and MRI Findings.The Korean journal of pain · 2016Article
- Safety of Epidural Corticosteroid Injections.Drugs in R&D · 2016Review
- Method to Reduce the False-Positive Rate of Loss of Resistance in the Cervical Epidural Region.Pain research & management · 2016Article
- Article
- Catheter-Based Transepidural Approach to Cervical and Thoracic Posterior and Perineural Epidural Spaces: A Cadaveric Feasibility Study.Journal of vascular and interventional neurology · 2015Article
- Neurological complications associated with epidural steroid injections.Current pain and headache reports · 2015Review
- Analysis of efficacy differences between caudal and lumbar interlaminar epidural injections in chronic lumbar axial discogenic pain: local anesthetic alone vs. local combined with steroids.International journal of medical sciences · 2015Article
- Comparison of the efficacy of saline, local anesthetics, and steroids in epidural and facet joint injections for the management of spinal pain: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.Surgical neurology international · 2015Article
- Comparison of the efficacy of caudal, interlaminar, and transforaminal epidural injections in managing lumbar disc herniation: is one method superior to the other?The Korean journal of pain · 2015Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
STUDY
designA randomized, double-blind, active-controlled trial.
objectiveTo assess the effectiveness of cervical interlaminar epidural injections of local anesthetic with or without steroids for the management of axial or discogenic pain in patients without disc herniation, radiculitis, or facet joint pain. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Cervical discogenic pain without disc herniation is a common cause of suffering and disability in the adult population. Once conservative management has failed and facet joint pain has been excluded, cervical epidural injections may be considered as a management tool. Despite a paucity of evidence, cervical epidural injections are one of the most commonly performed nonsurgical interventions in the management of chronic axial or disc-related neck pain.
methodsOne hundred and twenty patients without disc herniation or radiculitis and negative for facet joint pain as determined by means of controlled diagnostic medial branch blocks were randomly assigned to one of the 2 treatment groups. Group I patients received cervical interlaminar epidural injections of local anesthetic (lidocaine 0.5%, 5 mL), whereas Group II patients received 0.5% lidocaine, 4 mL, mixed with 1 mL or 6 mg of nonparticulate betamethasone. The primary outcome measure was ≥ 50% improvement in pain and function. Outcome assessments included numeric rating scale (NRS), Neck Disability Index (NDI), opioid intake, employment, and changes in weight.
resultsSignificant pain relief and functional improvement (≥ 50%) was present at the end of 2 years in 73% of patients receiving local anesthetic only and 70% receiving local anesthetic with steroids. In the successful group of patients, however, defined as consistent relief with 2 initial injections of at least 3 weeks, significant improvement was illustrated in 78% in the local anesthetic group and 75% in the local anesthetic with steroid group at the end of 2 years. The results reported at the one-year follow-up were sustained at the 2-year follow-up.
conclusionsCervical interlaminar epidural injections with or without steroids may provide significant improvement in pain and functioning in patients with chronic discogenic or axial pain that is function-limiting and not related to facet joint pain.
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Registered trials
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