For a study, researchers sought to summarize recent research on Injections of corticosteroids into the cervical spine, a common clinical treatment of epidural steroid injections (ESI). Since retro-laminar cervical blocks (RLCB) do not necessitate entering the neuraxis, they may be a more secure alternative to ESI. Patients with failed conservative therapy cervical radiculopathy who were surgical candidates for cervical spine decompression were examined for their response to RLCB. Investigators recently presented the results of clinical pilot research looking at the use of ultrasound-guided RLCB for treating cervical radiculopathy. All patients who had RLCB for cervical radicular discomfort between August 2019 and March 2021 had their medical records analyzed retrospectively and compared to data acquired prospectively. A total of 98 patients and 139 operations were accounted for in the study. Both right after surgery and at the end of the follow-up period (16.9±13.4 wk), most patients reported a drastic improvement in their level of discomfort. At discharge, the overall cohort’s mean numerical rating scale dropped from 7.21±2.51 to 4.04±2.51 (P-value <0.01), with similar patterns at the subgroup level. The effectiveness of a neck disability index (NDI) questionnaire in assessing functional capacity was determined. In fact, 83% of patients saw an improvement in their NDI from before the procedure to after. In the final evaluation, NDI improvement was greater than the minimum clinically meaningful change for 80% of patients. Patients were typically released from the hospital after just receiving one RLCB (61%). In the end, 8 individuals (8%) had surgery. Soreness at the injection site was the most common complaint. However, serious side effects were not reported. According to these results, RLCB can be conducted as an alternative to cervical ESI and decompressive surgery for patients with refractory cervical radicular pain who have already exhausted noninvasive therapy options. Their findings must be confirmed by larger-scale, comparative, and prospective research.
