title: Systematic review of caudal epidural injections in the management of chronic back pain.
abstract: Epidural steroids recently attracted world attention due to medication contamination resulting in many cases of fungal meningitis. What was rarely noted in these reports is that there is little data to support use of this treatment. This article reviews the literature on epidural steroids for various types of back pain and concludes that further testing should be performed to determine if and in what situations this intervention is useful before wide-spread use is resumed.
authors: Professor and the Chief of the Division of Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University and chief of Butler Hospital's Movement Disorders Program.
authors: Joseph H
authors: JH
authors: Friedman
authors: Gaurav
authors: G
authors: Dighe
mesh_terms: D000763:Anesthesia, Caudal / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000188:drug therapy; D004333:Drug Administration Routes; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D059408:Pain Management; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D013256:Steroids / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D013256:Steroids
keywords: Epidural steroids; low back pain; radicular pain; spinal stenosis