title: Oral steroids for acute radiculopathy due to a herniated lumbar disk: a randomized clinical trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Oral steroids are commonly used to treat acute sciatica due to a herniated disk but have not been evaluated in an appropriately powered clinical trial.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine if oral prednisone is more effective than placebo in improving function and pain among patients with acute sciatica.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial conducted from 2008 to 2013 in a large integrated health care delivery system in Northern California. Adults (n=269) with radicular pain for 3 months or less, an Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score of 30 or higher (range, 0-100; higher scores indicate greater dysfunction), and a herniated disk confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging were eligible.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive a tapering 15-day course of oral prednisone (5 days each of 60 mg, 40 mg, and 20 mg; total cumulative dose = 600 mg; n = 181) or matching placebo (n = 88).
  
  
  METHODS
  The primary outcome was ODI change at 3 weeks; secondary outcomes were ODI change at 1 year, change in lower extremity pain (measured on a 0-10 scale; higher scores indicate more pain), spine surgery, and Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores (0-100 scale; higher scores better).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Observed baseline and 3-week mean ODI scores were 51.2 and 32.2 for the prednisone group and 51.1 and 37.5 for the placebo group, respectively. The prednisone-treated group showed an adjusted mean 6.4-point (95% CI, 1.9-10.9; P = .006) greater improvement in ODI scores at 3 weeks than the placebo group and a mean 7.4-point (95% CI, 2.2-12.5; P = .005) greater improvement at 52 weeks. Compared with the placebo group, the prednisone group showed an adjusted mean 0.3-point (95% CI, -0.4 to 1.0; P = .34) greater reduction in pain at 3 weeks and a mean 0.6-point (95% CI, -0.2 to 1.3; P = .15) greater reduction at 52 weeks. The prednisone group showed an adjusted mean 3.3-point (95% CI, 1.3-5.2; P = .001) greater improvement in the SF-36 PCS score at 3 weeks, no difference in the SF-36 PCS score at 52 weeks (mean, 2.5; 95% CI, -0.3 to 5.4; P = .08), no change in the SF-36 MCS score at 3 weeks (mean, 2.2; 95% CI, -0.4 to 4.8; P = .10), and an adjusted 3.6-point (95% CI, 0.6-6.7; P = .02) greater improvement in the SF-36 MCS score at 52 weeks. There were no differences in surgery rates at 52-week follow-up. Having 1 or more adverse events at 3-week follow-up was more common in the prednisone group than in the placebo group (49.2% vs 23.9%; P < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among patients with acute radiculopathy due to a herniated lumbar disk, a short course of oral steroids, compared with placebo, resulted in modestly improved function and no improvement in pain.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00668434.
authors.affiliation: Kaiser Permanente Northern California Spine Care Program, San Jose2Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland.
authors.forename: Harley
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Goldberg
authors.affiliation: Kaiser Permanente Northern California Spine Care Program, Redwood City.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Firtch
authors.affiliation: Kaiser Permanente Northern California Spine Care Program, Roseville.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tyburski
authors.affiliation: Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland5Sutter Health Research, Development, and Dissemination, Walnut Creek, California.
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pressman
authors.affiliation: Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland.
authors.forename: Lynn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ackerson
authors.affiliation: Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland.
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.affiliation: Kaiser Permanente Northern California Spine Care Program, San Jose.
authors.forename: Wayne
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Kaiser Permanente Northern California Spine Care Program, Roseville.
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carver
authors.affiliation: Kaiser Permanente Northern California Spine Care Program, Redwood City.
authors.forename: Annu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maratukulam
authors.affiliation: Kaiser Permanente Northern California Spine Care Program, San Jose.
authors.forename: Lawrence A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Won
authors.affiliation: Orthopedic Spine Surgery Division, Department of Orthopedics, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California.
authors.forename: Eugene
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carragee
authors.affiliation: Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland7Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco8Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco.
authors.forename: Andrew L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Avins
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000150:complications*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011241:Prednisone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011843:Radiculopathy / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D011241:Prednisone