C7-T1 Epidural Steroid Injections Versus Targeted Injection for Treatment of Cervical Radicular Pain
Completed · Phase 4
Conditions studied: Radicular; Neuropathic, Cervical, Neck Pain
In brief
Cervical radicular pain is a common, disabling problem, occurs in 83:100,000 individuals per year. Symptoms are most often caused by intervertebral disc herniation (21.9%) or central or foraminal stenosis from spondylosis (68.4%). Patients complain of pain in the head, neck, scapula or arm. The diagnosis of radicular pain is made clinically by history and physical examination, supported by imaging studies and electrodiagnostic tests. No study has compared the differences in pain, medication utilization, functional outcomes, or patient satisfaction between interlaminar and targeted epidural injections in the cervical spine. In theory, the technique of targeted epidural steroid delivery with a catheter has a lower risk of accidental vascular trespass or disc penetration during the procedure, and far less risk of dural penetration or spinal cord injury at rostral levels of the cervical spinal cord as compared with the interlaminar technique. The investigators hypothesize that this technique results in superior pain control, decreased medication use, improved function and fewer repeat injections. This data could improve patient safety and affect the evolving treatment guidelines for cervical epidural injections.
Key facts
- Study ID
- NCT02095197
- Run by
- Northwestern University
- People needed
- 79
- Starts
- 2014-03-01
- Expected to finish
- 2016-07-01
- Last updated by the study team
- 2017-03-28
Who can join
Age: 18 and older, up to 75. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.
You may qualify if…
- All patients ages 18-75 with C2-6 unilateral radicular pain who are scheduled to undergo cervical epidural steroid injection treatment.
- Pain lasting greater than 2 weeks.
- Pain resistant to a trial of conservative therapy (i.e. oral steroids,nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, opioids, muscle relaxants, physical therapy or chiropractic care)
You may not qualify if…
- Patient refusal.
- Lack of consent.
- Systemic infection or local infection over planned injection site in posterior cervical spine.
- Bleeding disorder, current use of anticoagulants or anti-platelet medications.
- Intrinsic spinal cord lesions in the cervical region.
- History of central neurologic, cerebrovascular, demyelinating or muscular disease.
- Concomitant use of oral or injected steroids.
- Allergy to medications being used for injection procedures.
- Inability to communicate with staff or to participate in follow up.
- Pregnancy.
- Inability to perform handgrip or arm strength testing.
- Cognitive deficit or motor neuron disease.
- Daily opiate use that preceded the onset of cervical radicular symptoms or daily opiate use exceeding 3 months prior to study inclusion
Where it is running
- Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine — Chicago, Illinois, United States
Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov
Trial information comes from ClinicalTrials.gov and is refreshed daily. TrialsForMe does not provide medical care and does not run the studies it lists.