By Pat Anson, PNN Editor Invasive procedures such as steroid injections, nerve blocks and radiofrequency ablation should be used more cauti
Invasive procedures such as steroid injections, nerve blocks and radiofrequency ablation should be used more cautiously when treating chronic neck pain, according to new guidelines adopted by the American Academy of Pain Medicine and American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine.
The two medical societies formed a joint guidelines committee in 2020 to look into cervical spine joint procedures, which have become increasingly more common despite questions about their effectiveness and safety. The use of radiofrequency ablation -- heat from an electric current used to burn nerve endings that cause pain -- has increased by 112% in the U.S. over the past decade.
Spine pain in the neck or lower back is the leading cause of disability worldwide, with nearly half of adults likely to be affected at some point in their lives. The cervical facet joints, which allow the neck and back to tilt forwards, backwards and to rotate, are the primary source of pain in about 40% of patients with chronic neck pain and in over half of those with neck pain after whiplash injury.
"It is precisely because neck pain and cervical spine procedures are so common, and there is so little high-quality evidence to guide care, that consensus guidelines are needed,” says lead author Steven Cohen, MD, a professor of anesthesiology at Johns Hopkins Hospital and co-chair of the guidelines committee. (Read more at link)
