RESULTS The results of this review confirm and help quantify the significant differences that existed in the terminology and all the areas of diagnosis and treatment of presumed discogenic pain .
Our findings show that suspected discogenic pain , despite its extensive affirmation in the literature and enormous re sources regularly devoted to it , currently lacks clear diagnostic criteria and uniform treatment or terminology
BACKGROUND CONTEXT Pain innate to intervertebral disc , often referred to as discogenic pain , is suspected by some authors to be the major source of chronic low back and neck pain .
Current management of suspected discogenic pain lacks st and ardized diagnosis , treatment , and terminology .
PURPOSE In an attempt to determine whether patterns existed that may facilitate st and ardization of care , we sought to analyze the terminologies used and the various modes of diagnosis and treatment of suspected discogenic pain .
Radiofrequency Lesioning Using Two Different Time Modalities for the Treatment of Lumbar Discogenic Pain: A Randomized Trial
Study Design . A prospect i ve r and omized trial . Objective . To evaluate the efficacy of percutaneous intradiscal radiofrequency thermocoagulation by modifying the duration of heating , using two different time methods , for relieving pain and improving functional disability . Summary of Background Data . Lumbar discogenic pain is the major problem in lumbar degenerative disc disease that percutaneous intradiscal radiofrequency thermocoagulation has been suggested for as a nonsurgical invasive treatment technique for lumbar discogenic pain . In a previous controlled study , this method was found to be ineffective with 8 weeks of follow-up . Material s and Methods . Sixty patients with chronic low back pain were selected for provocative discography to diagnose the discogenic pain and to locate the discs to be treated . From this group , 39 patients were r and omly selected and divided into two groups . In the first group , treatment was performed for 120 seconds , and in the second group for 360 seconds , both at 80C . Patients were assessed with a visual analogue scale for pain relief and functional improvement . Evaluations were performed before , immediately after treatment , at 1 and 2 weeks , and at 1 , 3 , and 6 months after the procedure . Results . A total of 39 patients with positive provocative discographies were found to eligible for the study . There were no statistical differences in pain relief and functional improvement between two groups ( P > 0.05 ) . The immediate , 1-week and 2-week , and 1-month visual analogue scale ( VAS ) scores were decreased significantly in both groups when comparing them with the pretreatment scores ( P < 0.05 ) . However , the final values after 6 months were similar to those measured at the beginning of the study ( P > 0.05 ) . Conclusion . Percutaneous intradiscal radiofrequency thermocoagulation has been suggested and performed to relieve discogenic pain . In the previous controlled study , no effective pain relief has been obtained . In this study , the authors increased the duration of radiofrequency thermocoagulation to improve the effectiveness of this method . Yet , the authors have not found any significant differences between the application of lesioning at two different times in percutaneous intradiscal radiofrequency thermocoagulation
RESULTS The results of this review confirm and help quantify the significant differences that existed in the terminology and all the areas of diagnosis and treatment of presumed discogenic pain .
Our findings show that suspected discogenic pain , despite its extensive affirmation in the literature and enormous re sources regularly devoted to it , currently lacks clear diagnostic criteria and uniform treatment or terminology
BACKGROUND CONTEXT Pain innate to intervertebral disc , often referred to as discogenic pain , is suspected by some authors to be the major source of chronic low back and neck pain .
Current management of suspected discogenic pain lacks st and ardized diagnosis , treatment , and terminology .
PURPOSE In an attempt to determine whether patterns existed that may facilitate st and ardization of care , we sought to analyze the terminologies used and the various modes of diagnosis and treatment of suspected discogenic pain .