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Vibratory Anesthesia's Effect on Pain Perception in Upper Extremity Corticosteroid Injections
Dexter W Weeks1, John J Faillace1
1The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, USA.
Hand (New York, N.Y.)
|July 20, 2022
Summary
Vibratory anesthesia significantly reduces injection pain in the hand and upper extremity, outperforming cold spray. Both methods decreased pain compared to no anesthesia, but only vibration showed statistical significance for pain reduction.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedics
- Pain Management
- Anesthesiology
Background:
- Limited research exists on vibratory anesthesia for hand and upper extremity injections.
- Vapocoolant spray is commonly used but lacks strong evidence for injection pain reduction.
- No studies have directly compared vibratory anesthesia and vapocoolant spray for injectional pain.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the efficacy of vibratory anesthesia versus vapocoolant spray in reducing injection pain.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of these anesthesia methods for corticosteroid injections in the hand and upper extremity.
Main Methods:
- A randomized, prospective study was conducted with three groups: no anesthesia, vapocoolant spray, and vibratory anesthesia.
- 180 corticosteroid injections were performed, with 60 in each group.
- Patient-reported pain was assessed using pre- and post-injection surveys.
Main Results:
- Both vapocoolant spray and vibratory anesthesia reduced patient-reported injection pain compared to no anesthesia.
- Vibratory anesthesia demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in injection pain.
- Vapocoolant spray results were consistent with prior studies, suggesting potential clinical benefit.
Conclusions:
- Vibratory anesthesia is an effective adjunct for reducing injection pain in the hand and upper extremity.
- While vapocoolant spray may offer clinical benefits, vibratory anesthesia provides statistically significant pain reduction.
- Further research may explore the combined use or optimal application of these techniques.
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