Pain descriptions and surgical findings in patients with herniated lumbar intervertebral discs

Abstract

The diagnostic value of pain mapping in patients with lumbago sciatica and herniated intervertebral discs is evaluated, somatosensory pain descriptions being compared with surgical findings. Information has been extracted from complex data sets using a multivariate data analysis program (FCVPC-87). Superficially experienced pain may represent pronounced nerve root affliction. Pain relief in particular body positions was related to extruded discs and additional osseous stenosis, and rarely occurring relief to derangement of nerve root circulation. Neither somatosensory pain quality descriptions nor pain intensity variables were found to be of diagnostic value. Long duration of symptoms was found together with nerve root atrophy. Affliction of the L5 and S1 nerve roots showed differences with regard to pain localization and intensity and some surgical findings. Pain mapping may represent an indication of the patho-anatomical substratum in patients with herniated lumbar intervertebral discs.

Subjective Nature of Lower Limb Radicular Pain

“…This contrasts to previous reports that 22% of patients with radicular symptoms had superficially perceived spontaneous leg pain. 3,4 The principal difference may be that the cited reports examined cases Cases were arranged by the relative extent of the spontaneous pain symptoms. Glut, Gluteal; a, anterior; p, posterior; m, medial; l, lateral.…”

Pain patterns and descriptions in patients with radicular pain: Does the pain necessarily follow a specific dermatome?

“…However, it is significant that the conclusions regarding the diagnostic utility of dermatome maps were the same in these two studies. Ljunggren, et al [ 52 ] assessed 77 subjects with "lumbago sciatica" secondary to herniated disk and found some similarity in the pain location between patients with L5 those with S1 radiculopathy, but specific dermatomal maps were not used in this comparison. Anderberg, et al [ 33 ] found no relationship between the distribution of pain and the level of cervical radicular pain as determined by selective nerve root block.…”

The Short‐Form McGill Pain Questionnaire as an outcome measure: Test–retest reliability and responsiveness to change

“…In addition, an established translation institute (Mapi Research Institute 2003) using forward and backward translation techniques, have produced the measure in a multitude of languages. Recently a Norwegian SF-MPQ (NSF-MPQ) was developed (Ljunggren et al, 2007), conforming closely to the original measure, including commonly used Norwegian pain descriptors (Ljunggren, 1983;Ljunggren et al, 1988;Strand and Wisnes, 1991;Strand and Ljunggren, 1997).…”