title: Randomized and controlled prospective trials of Ultrasound-guided spinal nerve posterior ramus pulsed radiofrequency treatment for lower back post-herpetic neuralgia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of ultrasound-guided spinal nerve posterior ramus pulsed radiofrequency treatment for lower back post-herpetic neuralgia.
  
  
  METHODS
  128 cases of lower back or anterior abdominal wall acute post-herpetic neuralgia patients were selected. They were randomly divided into two groups. Group A: oral treatment only with gabapentin + celecoxib + amitriptyline. Group B: while taking these drugs, patients were treated with radiofrequency (RF) pulses using a portable ultrasound device using the paravertebral puncture technique. In both groups, sudden outbreaks of pain were treated with immediate release 10mg morphine tablets. Visual analogue scale (VAS) was used for pain score, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scale (PSQI) was used to evaluate sleep quality and morphine consumption were recorded at different time points, before and after treatment. Treatment efficiency was calculated while the occurrence of complications was documented.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At each time point after treatment, VAS scores were lower, but scores in the RF group was significantly lower than those of the oral-only group. In terms of sleep quality scores and morphine consumption between the two groups, the RF group was significantly lower than the oral-only group. During the procedure no error occurred with needle penetrating the abdominal cavity, chest, offal or blood vessels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ultrasound-guided spinal nerve posterior ramus pulsed radiofrequency treatment of lower back or anterior abdominal wall post-herpetic neuralgia proved effective by reducing morphine use in patients and led to fewer adverse reactions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, First affiliated Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China.
authors.forename: Z B
authors.initials: ZB
authors.lastname: Pi
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, First affiliated Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, First affiliated Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China.
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, First affiliated Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, First affiliated Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China.
authors.forename: X Z
authors.initials: XZ
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000588:Amines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000639:Amitriptyline / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000068579:Celecoxib / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D000077206:Gabapentin; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009020:Morphine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D051474:Neuralgia, Postherpetic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011446:Prospective Studies; D061208:Pulsed Radiofrequency Treatment / Q000379:methods*; D012890:Sleep; D013127:Spinal Nerves / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D000588:Amines; D000700:Analgesics; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; D000639:Amitriptyline; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D000077206:Gabapentin; D009020:Morphine; D000068579:Celecoxib
keywords: Neuralgia; Pulsed radiofrequency; Shingles; Ultrasound examination