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PubMed2001

Oral meloxicam is effective in acute sciatica: two randomised, double-blind trials versus placebo or diclofenac.

OBJECTIVE: Two randomised, double-blind, double-dummy trials evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of meloxicam compared with placebo or diclofenac in patients with acute sciatica. SUBJECTS: 1021 patients with acute sciatica. TREATMENT AND METHODS: In the first study, 532 patients received meloxicam 7.5 mg, meloxicam 15 mg, or placebo for 7 days. The second study randomised 489 patients to meloxicam 7.5 mg, meloxicam 15 mg, or diclofenac 150 mg for 14 days. RESULTS: Meloxicam 7.5 mg and 15 mg significantly improved overall pain between baseline and day 7 (p < 0.05) compared with placebo. Furthermore, both meloxicam doses showed similar improvements on all primary and secondary efficacy endpoints compared with diclofenac 150 mg. No significant differences in tolerability were observed between any of the treatment groups in either study. CONCLUSIONS: Meloxicam (7.5 mg or 15 mg) was well tolerated and was more effective than placebo, and as effective as diclofenac, in acute sciatica.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed2004

[How neuropathic is sciatica? The mixed pain concept].

Different pathophysiological mechanisms are thought to operate in chronic sciatica. Nociceptive and neuropathic pain components can be distinguished. Neuropathic pain may be caused by lesions of nociceptive sprouts within the degenerated disc (local neuropathic), mechanical compression of the nerve root (mechanical neuropathic root pain), or by action of inflammatory mediators (inflammatory neuropathic root pain) originating from the degenerative disc even without any mechanical compression. Since different pain-generating mechanisms possibly underlie sciatic pain, the term mixed pain syndrome was established. The incidence of each pain component in chronic sciatica as well as validated diagnostic tools to identify them remain unknown. Current analgesic therapeutic first-line strategies for chronic sciatica rely on NSAIDs that are known to relieve nociceptive pain only. In neuropathic pain, different therapeutic approaches are effective, i.e., antidepressants such as amitriptyline and anticonvulsants such as gabapentin, carbamazepine, and pregabalin. Therefore, the combination of these analgesic compounds with NSAID could be useful in patients with sciatic pain who do not respond to NSAID.

Analgesics↗

PubMed2000

[From sciatica to intervertebral disk displacement. On the history of a disease concept].

Since antiquity low back pain spreading down to the buttock and the leg with or without neurological symptoms has repeatedly been described by medical authorities. To extract well defined nosological entities out of the medley of "sciatica" was a demanding process within a labyrinth of often misleading clues. Although the herniated intervertebral disk was recognised about the middle of the 19th century the causal nexus between intervertebral disk displacement and sciatica was only demonstrated in the thirties of the 20th century. The critical appraisal of pathomorphological lesions in patients suffering from sciatica was, as it still is, a challenging task even for experienced physicians. Key texts and their authors recall the main steps towards our modern concept of lumbar intervertebral disk displacement to the readers mind.

History, 18th Century↗

PubMed1999

Diagnostic value of history and physical examination in patients suspected of sciatica due to disc herniation: a systematic review.

We conducted a systematic review of the literature from 1965-1994 to assess the value of history and physical examination in the diagnosis of sciatica due to disc herniation; we also included population characteristics and features of the study design affecting diagnostic value. Studies on the diagnostic value of history and physical examination in the diagnosis of sciatica due to disc herniation are subject to important biases, and information on numerous signs and symptoms is scarce or absent. Our search revealed 37 studies meeting the selection criteria; these were systematically and independently read by three readers to determine diagnostic test properties using a standard scoring list to determine the methodological quality of the diagnostic information. A meta-analysis was performed when study results allowed statistical pooling. Few studies investigated the value of the history. Pain distribution seemed to be the only useful history item. Of the physical examination signs the straight leg raising test was the only sign consistently reported to be sensitive for sciatica due to disc herniation. However, the sensitivity values varied greatly, the pooled sensitivity and specificity values being 0.85 and 0.52, respectively. The crossed straight leg raising test was the only sign shown to be specific; the pooled sensitivity and specificity values were 0.30 and 0.84, respectively. There was considerable disagreement on the specificity of the other neurological signs (paresis, sensory loss, reflex loss). Several types of bias and other methodological drawbacks were encountered in the studies limiting the validity of the study results. As a result of these drawbacks it is probable that test sensitivity was overestimated and test specificity underestimated.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗

PubMed2002

Low back pain and lumbago-sciatica in nurses and a reference group of clerks: results of a comparative prevalence study in Germany.

OBJECTIVES: To gain more conclusive evidence on the question of work-related low-back disorders in German nurses, a comprehensive study with several methodological approaches was performed. METHODS: As part of this project, a cross-sectional study on working conditions and prevalence of low back pain, a sample of 3,332 nurses and 1,720 clerks as reference group was investigated by a questionnaire. In this article, final results referring to a sub-sample of 2,207 nurses and 1,177 clerks who had always worked in their profession, so that we could exclude confounding effects of former occupations, will be presented. Excluding the confounding effects of several covariates by logistic regression, we computed relative risks for different pain symptoms. RESULTS: The data suggest a considerably higher risk of low back pain for nurses than for the reference population of clerks. Results, however, differ markedly when specific pain symptoms are considered. With respect to lumbago-sciatica and sciatica - which have to be regarded as indicators for possible disc herniation - the study group's relative risk is the most elevated (2.88 for point prevalence of lumbago-sciatica/sciatica). Adjusting the results for several confounders and covariates leads to still higher estimations of nurses' relative risk.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Repeatability of dermatomal warm and cold sensory thresholds in patients with sciatica.

Quantification of thermal thresholds is a useful method to assess and follow up the function of afferent small A-delta and C-fibres in patients with nerve dysfunctions. The object of this study was to estimate thermal test-retest repeatability in 19 patients with unilateral sciatica (14 L5 and 5 S1) in affected and non-affected dermatomes on the symptomatic (S) and non-symptomatic (NS) sides. Detection thresholds were measured at six sites, two within each of the L4, L5 and S1 dermatomes. The test was repeated after 1-2 h and the coefficient of repeatability (CR=2SD of test-retest differences) was calculated. Warm threshold repeatability did not differ between S and NS sides, but cold threshold CR was higher in the affected dermatome on the foot as compared to the contralateral dermatome ( P=0.04). Warm thresholds were more variable (CR=5 degrees C and 4.7 degrees C on S and NS sides) than cold thresholds (CR=2.2 degrees C and 2.1 degrees C on the S and NS sides). The expected range of variation for the second measurement was between 51% and 200% for warm and between 45% and 230% for cold thresholds. The sensitivity was better on the foot than the lateral calf (5 of 14 vs 1 of 14 abnormal thresholds) in the subgroup with L5 sciatica. We conclude that dermatomal thermotesting has acceptable repeatability, particularly at proximal lower extremity sites. The test may be useful in longitudinal investigations of patients with sciatica, e.g. in treatment follow-up studies.

Adult↗

PubMed1987

Incidence and risk factors of herniated lumbar intervertebral disc or sciatica leading to hospitalization.

Hospital admissions for herniated lumbar intervertebral disc or sciatica were followed up over a period of 11 years in 57,000 men and women who had participated in medical check-ups in various parts of Finland. Information on their hospitalizations after the baseline examination was obtained by record linkage to the National Hospital Discharge Register. To identify factors predicting back diseases, four controls matched individually for sex, age and place of residence were chosen for each of the 592 incidence cases who were free from severe back trouble and aged 20-59 at entry. Low or intermediate social class and blue-collar occupations in services or industry in men and symptoms suggesting psychological distress in women proved significant predictors for hospitalization due to herniated lumbar disc or sciatica. An association with the risk was suggested for smoking or chronic cough in men and parity in women. Marital status or leisure time physical activity were not predictive of herniated lumbar intervertebral disc or sciatica.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1987

Occupation and risk of herniated lumbar intervertebral disc or sciatica leading to hospitalization.

Various occupations were studied for the prediction of herniated lumbar intervertebral disc or sciatica in 592 men and women who had been discharged from hospital with these diagnoses during an 11-year follow-up after a health examination. The cases were compared with 2140 controls matched individually for sex, age and place of residence. Subjects who, at the initial examination before the follow-up, had reported a history of back pain or sciatica were excluded. In men, the risk of being hospitalized due to herniated lumbar disc or sciatica was lowest in professional and related occupations, significantly higher in all other groups and highest among blue-collar workers in industry and among motor vehicle drivers. The variation in the risk between occupational groups of women proved less but was nevertheless still apparent. However, in women, but not in men, the risk was significantly associated with self-assessed strenuousness of work.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Sciatica, disk herniation, and neuroborreliosis. A report of four cases.

We report four cases of sciatica in patients with same-level disk herniation confirmed by computed tomography and a final diagnosis of acute radiculitis caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, with a favorable response to ceftriaxone therapy. The neurological manifestations of Lyme disease are protean, and a potential contribution of concomitant disk disease to sciatica can lead to diagnostic wanderings. Disk lesions and infectious conditions that can cause sciatica are discussed. Whether a favorable response to antibiotic therapy should be taken as proof of B. burgdorferi radiculitis deserves discussion. In practice, in a patient with clinical manifestations suggesting disk-related nerve root pain and residing or having traveled to an endemic area, B. burgdorferi infection should be looked for, as both etiologies can coexist.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed2005

Pathophysiology of disk-related low back pain and sciatica. II. Evidence supporting treatment with TNF-alpha antagonists.

Strong evidence suggests that TNF-alpha may be among the chemical factors involved in disk-related sciatica. TNF-alpha is involved in the genesis of nerve pain in animal models and may promote pain-signal production from nerve roots previously subjected to mechanical deformation. In animal experiments, TNF-alpha has been identified in nucleus pulposus and Schwann cells. Local production of endogenous TNF-alpha may occur early in the pathogenic process. Exposure to exogenous TNF-alpha induces electrophysiological, histological, and behavioral changes similar to those seen after exposure to nucleus pulposus, and these changes are more severe when mechanical compression is applied concomitantly. TNF-alpha antagonists diminish or abolish abnormalities in animal models. Other cytokines may be involved also, as suggested by the potent inhibitory effects of compounds such as doxycycline. Two open-label studies in humans suggest dramatic efficacy of TNF-alpha antagonists in alleviating disk-related sciatica. In contrast, the results of the only controlled study available to date do not support a therapeutic effect of TNF-alpha antagonists. Thus, whether TNF-alpha antagonist therapy is warranted in patients with disk-related sciatica remains an open question, and further randomized controlled studies are needed.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Symptoms of distress as prospective predictors of pain-related sciatica treatment outcomes.

Prior studies evaluating predictors of pain-related outcomes following treatment for sciatica have been limited by methodological problems, including retrospective study design, use of unvalidated outcome measures, and short-term follow-up periods. Despite these limitations, some reports have suggested that symptoms of psychological distress may predict individual differences in pain treatment-related outcomes (e.g., higher levels of depressive and anxious symptomatology are associated with greater pain and disability after treatment). In this study, we sought to determine whether acute symptoms of depression and anxiety were prospectively associated with treatment outcomes over a 3-year follow-up period in surgically treated and non-surgically treated patients with sciatica. Patients were recruited from the practices of community-based physicians throughout the state of Maine, and underwent in-person baseline assessments, with mailed follow-up questionnaires at 3, 6, 12, 24, and 36 months. Study outcomes included patient-reported symptoms of pain and disability. For each outcome variable, we examined whether baseline mood (i.e., mood assessed prior to the initiation of treatment), as well as mood at the immediately preceding assessment point, prospectively predicted outcomes over 3 years in multivariate repeated-measures analyses. In most analyses, symptoms of depression and anxiety, both at baseline and at the preceding time point, were significant independent predictors of worse pain and function after controlling for relevant covariates. Collectively, elevated distress appears to be a significant risk factor for reduced treatment benefit (i.e., less improvement in pain and disability) over short and medium-term follow-up periods in patients with sciatica. Future research should determine whether the prospective identification and treatment of patients with high levels of distress (a "yellow flag") is associated with improved treatment outcomes.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Chiropractic manipulation in the treatment of acute back pain and sciatica with disc protrusion: a randomized double-blind clinical trial of active and simulated spinal manipulations.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Acute back pain and sciatica are major sources of disability. Many medical interventions are available, including manipulations, with conflicting results. PURPOSE: To assess the short- and long-term effects of spinal manipulations on acute back pain and sciatica with disc protrusion. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: Randomized double-blind trial comparing active and simulated manipulations in rehabilitation medical centers in Rome and suburbs. PATIENT SAMPLE: 102 ambulatory patients with at least moderate pain on a visual analog scale for local pain (VAS1) and/or radiating pain (VAS2). OUTCOME MEASURES: Pain-free patients at end of treatment; treatment failure (proportion of patients stopping the assigned treatment for lack of effect on pain); number of days with no, mild, moderate, or severe pain; quality of life; number of days on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; number of drug prescriptions; VAS1 and VAS2 scores; quality of life and psychosocial findings; and reduction of disc protrusion on magnetic resonance imaging. METHODS: Manipulations or simulated manipulations were done 5 days per week by experienced chiropractors, with a number of sessions which depended on pain relief or up to a maximum of 20, using a rapid thrust technique. Patients were assessed at admission and at 15, 30, 45, 90, and 180 days. At each visit, all indicators of pain relief were used. RESULTS: A total of 64 men and 38 women aged 19-63 years were randomized to manipulations (53) or simulated manipulations (49). Manipulations appeared more effective on the basis of the percentage of pain-free cases (local pain 28 vs. 6%; p<.005; radiating pain 55 vs. 20%; p<.0001), number of days with pain (23.6 vs. 27.4; p<.005), and number of days with moderate or severe pain (13.9 vs. 17.9; p<.05). Patients receiving manipulations had lower mean VAS1 (p<.0001) and VAS2 scores (p<.001). A significant interaction was found between therapeutic arm and time. There were no significant differences in quality of life and psychosocial scores. There were only two treatment failures (manipulation 1; simulated manipulation 1) and no adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Active manipulations have more effect than simulated manipulations on pain relief for acute back pain and sciatica with disc protrusion.

Acute Disease↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Intravenous lidocaine, amantadine, and placebo in the treatment of sciatica: a double-blind, randomized, controlled study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Sciatica is a neuropathic pain syndrome caused by compression and/or inflammation of spinal nerve roots by herniated disc material, and its treatment is therefore usually aimed at reducing compression and inflammation. Studies have shown that both systemic local anesthetics and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists may produce analgesia in a variety of neuropathic pain syndromes. The present study evaluated the analgesic efficacy of i.v. infusions of the local anesthetic lidocaine, the NMDA receptor antagonist amantadine, and a placebo in sciatica. METHODS: Thirty patients with sciatica, as confirmed by physical examination and imaging studies, were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, three-arm crossover trial. Infusions of amantadine (2.5 mg/kg), lidocaine (5 mg/kg), and a placebo were administered over a 2-hour period, 2-7 days apart from each other. Spontaneous pain (visual analog scale) and evoked pain (straight leg raise) were measured every 30 minutes for 3 hours. RESULTS: Lidocaine reduced spontaneous pain as compared with amantadine and with the placebo for all measurements and at a significant level at the 30 (P < .05), 120, and 180 (P < .01) minute time points. Maximal pain reduction from the baseline was 62 +/- 7% for lidocaine, 43 +/- 7% for amantadine, and 47 +/- 7% for the placebo. Straight leg raise test also significantly improved with lidocaine (from 30 to 37 degrees; P < .05), as compared to amantadine (34-36 degrees) and to the placebo (32-34 degrees). All three treatments were relatively well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: Intravenous lidocaine, rather than amantadine, reduces both spontaneous and evoked sciatic pain.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Forceful sacrococcygeal injections in the treatment of postdiscectomy sciatica. A controlled study versus glucocorticoid injections.

UNLABELLED: The role of epidural fibrosis in postoperative sciatica is unclear. Few therapeutic trials have been published. We evaluated the mechanical effects of forceful saline injections through the sacrococcygeal hiatus comparatively with glucocorticoid injections. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-seven patients with postdiscectomy sciatica but no evidence of compression by computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging were included in a multicenter, randomized, controlled, parallel-group study comparing forceful injections of saline (20 ml) with or without prednisolone acetate (125 mg) to epidural prednisolone acetate (125 mg) alone. Each of the three treatments was given once a month for three consecutive months. Outcome measures were pain severity on a visual analog scale (VAS) and the scores on the Dallas algofunctional self-questionnaire on day 0, day 60, and day 120. Analysis of variance for repeated measures and Student's t test for paired series were used to evaluate the data. RESULTS: Forty-seven patients were evaluated. The VAS score improved significantly between day 0 and day 30 in the glucocorticoid group as compared to the forceful injection group (P = 0.01). No other significant differences were found across the groups. The VAS score improved steadily in the forceful injection group, producing a nearly significant difference on day 120 as compared to baseline (P = 0.08). CONCLUSION: Forceful epidural injections produced a non-significant improvement in postdiscectomy sciatica four months after surgery. Epidural glucocorticoids used alone induced short-lived pain relief.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Computed tomography in low back pain and sciatica. A retrospective study of 132 patients in the Haute-Vienne district of France.

AIMS: To evaluate physician compliance with the guidelines of the National Agency for Accreditation and Health Evaluation (ANAES) and the Consensus Conference on the use of medical imagery in low back pain and sciatica. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of 132 computed tomography scans (CTs) of the lumbar spine performed in one public and one private healthcare facility in the Haute-Vienne district, France. For each patent, the clinical findings, results of other investigations, prescriptions, and procedures reimbursed by the universal health insurance system were recorded. RESULTS: Guidelines on imagery were followed in 2% of patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain. In 72% of patients, CT results had no influence on the subsequent clinical management. The guidelines were followed more often in patients with sciatica: 85% underwent CT more than 4 weeks after the initial painful episode. However, before CT was ordered, only 54% received appropriate initial treatment with analgesics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and/or muscle relaxants. Among these patients, 25% also received second-line medical therapy consisting of facet joint injection, conventional traction and, after the initial acute phase, physical therapy. In 39% of the sciatica patients, the imaging results had no effect on subsequent management. Among these patients, 12% underwent surgery for disk herniation. CONCLUSIONS: Ten years after the consensus conference and despite the publication of the ANAES guidelines, there is still a wide gap between observed practice and recommendations for optimal management. The consequences of this extend beyond unnecessary expenses for the universal health insurance system to include important deleterious effects on the patients. In particular, prompt appropriate management may help to avoid progression to chronic low back pain and unnecessary imaging studies and surgical procedures, which often have devastating social and occupational consequences.

France↗

PubMed2000

Diagnostic value of electrophysiological tests in patients with sciatica.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the diagnostic value of electrophysiological tests in patients with sciatica. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The diagnostic value of electrophysiological tests were evaluated in 25 patients with monoradicular sciatica. The electrophysiological study included dermatomal somatosensory evoked potentials, electromyography, F-wave latencies, H-reflexes and motor and sensory nerve conduction determinations. The results of the electrophysiological examinations were evaluated blindly, and the test results were analysed separately by a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Furthermore, the 5 modalities were evaluated jointly and analysed by a decision-analytic regret function. RESULTS: A high predictive value was found for the H-reflex examination, but low for the other modalities. When the 5 modalities were evaluated jointly, a non-significant decrease in expected regret from the pre-test situation of 0.96 to a value of 0.93 in post-test situation was revealed. CONCLUSION: Electrophysiological testing is not sufficient as stand-alone examination in patients with sciatica.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Epidural corticosteroid injections for sciatica due to herniated nucleus pulposus.

BACKGROUND: Although epidural corticosteroid injections are commonly used for sciatica, their efficacy has not been established. METHODS: In a randomized, double-blind trial, we administered up to three epidural injections of methylprednisolone acetate (80 mg in 8 ml of isotonic saline) or isotonic saline (1 ml) to 158 patients with sciatica due to a herniated nucleus pulposus. All patients had Oswestry disability scores higher than 20 (on a scale of 1 to 100, with scores of 20 or less indicating minimal disability, and higher scores greater disability). RESULTS: At three weeks, the Oswestry score had improved by a mean of -8.0 in the methylprednisolone group and -5.5 in the placebo group (95 percent confidence interval for the difference, -7.1 to 2.2). Differences in improvements between the groups were not significant, except for improvements in the finger-to-floor distance (P=0.006) and sensory deficits (P=0.03), which were greater in the methylprednisolone group. After six weeks, the only significant difference was the improvement in leg pain, which was greater in the methylprednisolone group (P=0.03). After three months, there were no significant differences between the groups. The Oswestry score had improved by a mean of -17.3 in the methylprednisolone group and -15.4 in the placebo group (95 percent confidence interval for the difference, -9.3 to 5.4). At 12 months, the cumulative probability of back surgery was 25.8 percent in the methylprednisolone group and 24.8 percent in the placebo group (P=0.90). CONCLUSIONS: Although epidural injections of methylprednisolone may afford short-term improvement in leg pain and sensory deficits in patients with sciatica due to a herniated nucleus pulposus, this treatment offers no significant functional benefit, nor does it reduce the need for surgery.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Comparison of caudal steroid epidural with targeted steroid placement during spinal endoscopy for chronic sciatica: a prospective, randomized, double-blind trial.

BACKGROUND: Chronic sciatica can be managed by caudal steroid epidural or by targeted steroid placement during spinal endoscopy. Spinal endoscopy is a new unproven procedure. We aimed to compare the two pain management techniques and to investigate whether the site of steroid placement within the epidural space was significant. METHODS: We randomized 60 patients with a 6-18 months history of sciatica to either targeted epidural local anaesthetic and steroid placement with a spinal endoscope or caudal epidural local anaesthetic and steroid treatment. Pre-treatment and 6-week, 3-month, and 6-month SF-MPQ and HAD scores were recorded. RESULTS: No significant differences were found between the groups for any of the measures at any time. However, there were significant differences within both groups compared with pre-treatment values. For the caudal group, significant improvements were found for descriptive pain at 6 months (P=0.031), VAS at 6 weeks (P=0.036), 3 months (P=0.026), and 6 months (P=0.003), present pain intensity (PPI) at 3 months (P=0.013) and 6 months (P=0.01); anxiety at 6 weeks (P=0.008), 3 months (P=0.004), and 6 months (P=0.001) and depression at 6 months only (P=0.037). For the epiduroscopy group there were fewer significant changes. PPI was significantly reduced at 6 weeks (P=0.004) and at 6 months (P=0.02). Anxiety was reduced at 6 months only (P=0.03). CONCLUSION: The targeted placement of epidural steroid onto the affected nerve root causing sciatica does not significantly reduce pain intensity and anxiety and depression compared with untargeted caudal epidural steroid injection. When analysed individually, both techniques benefited patients.

Adult↗