title: A double-blind, randomized controlled, prospective trial assessing the effectiveness of oral corticoids in the treatment of symptomatic lumbar canal stenosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Corticoids have potent anti-inflammatory effects, which may help in relieving pain and dysfunction associated with lumbar canal stenosis. We assessed the effectiveness of a decreasing-dose regimen of oral corticoids in the treatment of lumbar canal stenosis in a prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-one patients with lumbar canal stenosis (50-75 years; canal area < 100 mm2 at L3/L4, L4/L5, and/or L5/S1on magnetic resonance imaging; and claudication within 100 m were electronically randomized to an oral corticoid group (n = 31) or a placebo group (n = 30). The treatment group received 1 mg/kg of oral corticoids daily, with a dose reduction of one-third per week for 3 weeks. Patients and controls were assessed by the Short Form 36 Health Survey, Roland-Morris Questionnaire, 6-min walk test, visual analog scale, and a Likert scale. All instruments showed similar outcomes for the corticoid and placebo groups (P > 0.05). Obese patients exhibited more severe symptoms compared with non-obese patients. L4/L5 stenosis was associated with more severe symptoms compared with stenosis at other levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The oral corticoid regimen used in this study was not effective in the treatment of lumbar canal stenosis.
authors.forename: Luiz Claudio L
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Disciplina de Reumatologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP, Rua Botucatu 740, Sao Paulo, SP CEP: 04023-900, Brazil. jnatour@unifesp.br.
authors.forename: Jamil
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Natour
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000368:Aged; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008875:Middle Aged; D010919:Placebos; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013130:Spinal Stenosis / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D010919:Placebos
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