Treatment outcomes of peri-articular steroid injection for patients with work-related sacroiliac joint pain and lumbar para-spinal muscle strain

Abstract

Objectives: Evaluating treatment outcomes of local corticosteroid injections for work-related lower back pain (LBP) as the current evidence for the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine guidelines is considered insufficient to recommend this practice. Material and Methods: The authors conducted a retrospective study involving the patients who were treated with peri-articular and lower lumbar corticosteroid injections for work-related LBP at their occupational medicine clinic. Results: Sixty-four patients met the inclusion criteria. The average pain level was reduced from M±SD 5.1±2.0 to M±SD 3.1±2.3 after the corticosteroid injection (p < 0.0001). Thirty-five patients (55%) were discharged to regular duty; 23 (36%) were transferred to orthopedics due to persistent pain; and 6 (9%) were lost to follow-up. Conclusions: Corticosteroid injections for work-related LBP are effective in reducing pain and enhancing discharge to regular duty. Nonetheless, larger prospective trials are needed to validate these findings.

Injective Treatments for Sacroiliac Joint Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

“…In fact, among the included articles, a combined approach Fig. 4 Statistical results and funnel plot was tested only in steroid injections or human grow hormone injections [15,[30][31][32] case series, confirming the promising results of targeting both joint and periarticular tissues. To deliver the injected product to the target area, the literature also suggests the use of a radiological guidance, being a blind injection effective only in 22% of the procedures [10].…”