[Therapeutic local anesthesia in backache]

Low back pain for which operative therapy is not indicated, can prove resistant to treatment even with the aggressive application of conservative measures and the use of suitable drugs. Here, local anesthesia can often have a decisive influence on pain. On account of possible complications, particular consideration must be given to pharmacological aspects. Moreover, certain minimum demands must be met by the equipment and personnel staffing of a pain clinic, and also the possibilities for monitoring the patient. Within the framework of an interdisciplinary pain clinic, the various blockade techniques employed for therapeutic local anesthesia provide suitable possibilities for combatting this type of pain.