Low back pain of radicular origin (Radicular low back pain)

Abstract

Lumbosacral nerve root block with local anesthetics has been performed for the treatment of sciatica. However, sometimes not only sciatica but also low back pain may be improved by nerve root block at a single level. This study analysed the clinical features of 18 patients with low back pain which was temporarily relieved by lumbosacral nerve root block. The low back pain was assumed to be associated with lumbosacral nerve root impairment due to disc herniation or spinal canal stenosis. The low back pain was frequently accompanied with sciatica unilaterally and disappeared after nerve root block at a single level. It was speculated that such low back pain might be due to nerve root impairment per se. This may thus be called a radicular low back pain. Nerve root block may be useful to confirm the diagnosis and improve the radicular low back pain.