Observational studyRegional anesthesia and pain medicine2026
Do cervical medial branch blocks have a therapeutic role? a prospective cohort study.
Observational study in Regional anesthesia and pain medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04852393 (A Prospective Evaluation of the Safety and Clinical Effects of Ultrasound-guided Cervical Medial Branch Blocks), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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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.
A Prospective Evaluation of the Safety and Clinical Effects of Ultrasound-guided Cervical Medial Branch Blocks
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundCervical medial branch blocks (CMBB) are used for the diagnosis of facet joint-related pain. There have been several reports suggesting that they can provide a benefit that significantly outlasts the expected duration of diagnostic blocks. We undertook this study to determine the frequency and extent of this effect in clinical practice.
methods179 patients undergoing 830 individual block levels and who had previously reported 50% relief following a CMBB were recruited using a prospective cohort design and blocks were performed in an outpatient setting. Outcomes monitored at baseline and every 2 weeks for 12 weeks included numerical pain scores, Neck Disability Index and Patient Global Impression of Change. In addition, the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 and Patient Health Questionnaire 9 were completed every 4 weeks.
resultsStatistically significant differences were found for all measures of pain, emotional and physical functioning, when comparing 2 and 12-week measurements to baseline. At 2 weeks, 62.2% of patients reported a 30% or greater decrease in pain scores, which decreased to 22.7% at 12 weeks. Exploratory analysis found no association between age, opioid use, pain etiology, previous surgery, levels treated (upper vs lower cervical) and change in Numerical Rating Score between weeks 0 and 2, as well as between weeks 2 and 12.
conclusionOur findings suggest that a proportion of patients undergoing CMBB may experience clinical benefits that exceed the expected duration of local anesthetics. Further research is required to determine the potential clinical applications of these findings. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04852393.
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