Therapeutic Efficacy of Pulsed Radiofrequency Treatment in Lumbar Radicular Pain

Background: Lumbar radicular pain is a frequent and often debilitating event. Although many treatment methods have been described in several studies, the available evidences regarding efficacy is not sufficient enough to draw definitive conclusions on an optimal therapy regime. Pulsed radiofrequency (RF) treatment was found to exert a beneficial effect on intractable radicular pain in individuals. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of pulsed RF of the dorsal root ganglion for chronic lumbar radicular pain. Methods: Twenty five patients with chronic lumbar radicular pain that was refractory to selective nerve root blockage met the inclusion criteria of our study and received pulsed RF treatment. The average numeric rating scale (NRS) for leg pain during usual activities and the Oswestry disability index (ODI) were measured at 1 and 3 months after the procedure. Results: Of the 25 patients accepted for pulsed RF treatment, one dropped out due to a vertebral compression fracture during this study. ODI and NRS showed a positive trend in favor of the pulsed RF treatment. No significant complications were observed during the study period. Conclusions: It appears that pulsed RF treatment of the lumbar spinal dorsal root ganglion may be an effective treatment method for patients suffering from lumbar radicular pain, and who were not responsive to selective nerve root blockage.