Epidural steroid injection in non-specific low backache

Effect of epidural steroid injection has been studied in 107 cases (50 males and 57 females, mostly above 20 years of age) with non-specific low backache. Out of 42 cases with acute syndrome 20(47.6%) showed good response, 10(23.8%) showed fair response and 12(28.6%) showed poor response, whereas similar responses were found in 5(7.7%), 10(15.4%) and 50(76.9%) cases respectively among 65 cases of chronic syndrome (p less than 0.001). Agewise, 23(32.9%), 9(12.9%) and 38(54.2%) cases among 70 patients below 40 years of age and 2(5.4%), 11(29.8%) and 24 (69.8%) cases among 37 patients above 40 years of age showed good, fair and poor responses to epidural steroid respectively (p less than 0.001). Hence epidural steroid injection has been shown to be a useful adjunct to conservative treatment of low backache in young patients with acute syndrome.