The Use of IV Steroid Injection:
IV steroid injection is a treatment used when a herniated disk causes severe sciatica. The IV injection reduces pain and inflammation. Sciatica is a common condition affecting around 40% of adults at some point in their lives. It is marked by pain down the leg, but might have one of several causes.
About the Study:
Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston looked at the benefits of using an IV steroid therapy for pain and inflammation in sciatica cases. The sciatica cases they looked at were caused by disk herniations or bulging disks that caused pressure on a nerve root, which in turn caused leg pain. 65 patients were involved in the study. One group of patients recieved methylprednisolone, while the other received a placebo.
Pain Reduction Measurements:
The researchers found that the improvement in pain offered by the IV treatment was minimal. Specifically, on a 100-point scale, patients reported an improvement of 6 points.
Length of Pain Relief :
Furthermore, the pain was back in a few days. Researchers compared pain scores of patients recieving the injections with patients who received a placebo. After a few days, their pain scores were about equal.
Conclusions:
Researchers concluded that IV steroid injections are not the best solution for sciatica.
Bibliography:
Intravenous Steroids of Little Help in Acute Sciatica. Newswise Press Release February 10, 2006. Retrieved from: http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/517944/?sc-dwtr. February 10, 2006.
Date Created: February 10, 2006
