Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Aju University College of Medicine*
A group of 47 out-patients with low back pain who examined especially pain at lateral bending, flexion, extension of low back and showed radiologic degenerative change of facet joints were randomised to receive one of four types of injection treatment Group A: Triamcinolone and lidocaine, 20 patients; Group B: Triamcinolone only, 10 patients; Group C: Physiologic saline, 7 patients; Group D: Lidocaine only, 10 patients- into both facet joints of L4-5 and L5-S1.
The effect of therapeutic drug for facet block was evaluated each group of drugs change of physical datas, characteristics of radiologic findings and activities of daily living, age and sex with physical accessment and visual analogue scale.
A significant improvement of pain relief was observed in group A and B at one hour after facet injection, and group A, B and D at one week after. Also patients with severe degenerative change of facet joints were significantly improvement of pain relief after treatment. Although female and older improved subjective pain scales compared with male and younger but there were no important difference between the groups with respect to change of physical accessments, sex and age.
We concluded the degree of degenerative change of facet joint is a one of important diagnostic values, and the physical accessments itself are non-specificity for follow up of improvement of facet syndrome.
