OBJECTIVE: In this randomized and prospective research, we aimed to relieve surgical and muscle-related pain early after lumbar disc operations with caudal preemptive analgesia.
METHODS: A total of 120 patients with single-level lumbar disc herniation were included in this study. The caudal epidural injection was performed for all patients 20 min before surgery. The patients were divided into three groups. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or tramadol use were recorded. Pre-operative and post-operative pain was interpreted through a visual analog scale.
RESULTS: There was a difference between the groups in all post-operative measurements (p < 0.05), between Group 1 and Group 3, and between Group 2 and Group 3. A statistical significance has been achieved between the groups at the 1st h, 2nd h, 4th h, and 24th h (p < 0.05). The difference between the pain intensities of the patients at the 24th h and the 1st week was statistically significant in Groups 1 and 2 (p < 0.05). Evaluation of the effects of medical treatments reduced the severity of back pain and foot pain.
CONCLUSIONS: The preemptive bupivacaine or in combination with methylprednisolone caudal injection is an effective and safe method to reduce post-operative pain and ameliorate functional capacity for the treatment of lumbar disc herniation.
OBJECTIVE: En esta investigación prospectiva aleatorizada, nuestro objetivo fue aliviar el dolor quirúrgico y muscular temprano después de las operaciones de disco lumbar con analgesia preventiva caudal.
UNASSIGNED: en este estudio se incluyeron un total de 120 pacientes con hernia de disco lumbar de un solo nivel. La inyección epidural caudal se realizó para todos los pacientes 20 minutos antes de la cirugía. Los pacientes fueron divididos en tres grupos. Se registró el uso de AINE o tramadol. El dolor preoperatorio y postoperatorio se interpretó a través de una escala analógica visual.
RESULTS: Hubo diferencia entre los grupos en todas las medidas postoperatorias (p < 0.05), entre el grupo 1 y el grupo 3, y entre el grupo 2 y el grupo 3. Se ha logrado una significación estadística entre los grupos a la 1a hora, 2a hora, 4 y 24 horas (p < 0.05). La diferencia entre las intensidades de dolor de los pacientes a la hora 24 y la primera semana fue estadísticamente significativa en los Grupos 1 y 2 (p < 0.05). La evaluación de los efectos de los tratamientos médicos redujo la gravedad del dolor de espalda y de pie.
UNASSIGNED: La bupivacaína preventiva, o en combinación con la inyección caudal de metilprednisolona, es un método eficaz y seguro para reducir el dolor posoperatorio y mejorar la capacidad funcional para el tratamiento de la hernia de disco lumbar.

BACKGROUND: Low back pain affects 80% of people worldwide at least once in a lifetime and reduces the quality of life and causes absence from work.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the pain and functional status of patients with lumbar disc disease who received blind caudal epidural injections (CEI) for pain relief.
METHODS: The records of 107 patients who had been given CEI between September 2017 and January 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The inclusion criteria were age > 18 years, > 3-month history of low back pain, and diagnosis of lumbar disc disease by magnetic resonance imaging. The epidural injection solution consisted of 2 mL of betamethasone sodium and 8 mL saline. Follow-up examinations were conducted 3 and 6 months post-injection and the patients were evaluated using a visual analog scale (VAS) and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI).
RESULTS: The most common disc pathology was at the L4-L5 level. The VAS and ODI scores indicated significantly reduced pain at 3 and 6 months compared with the pre-injection baseline. Two patients experienced total anesthesia and paresis of the lower limbs, but recovered fully after 2 weeks. Blood was aspirated during the injection in two patients, but second-attempt injections were successful in both cases. No other complications were observed.
CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the blind method is safe for administering CEI to patients with chronic low back pain in the absence of radiological screening and results in significant pain relief with improved functional capacity.

Persistent hiccup is uncommon, and the mechanism is poorly understood. We present the case of a 43-year-old male patient referred to the Algology department due to chronic back pain who developed what we believe a rare case of persistent hiccup secondary to caudal epidural steroid injection (CESI). The causes of hiccup are many and include electrolyte derangement, nutritional deficiencies, gastrointestinal disorders and instrumentation, cardiovascular disorders, renal impairment, central nervous system disorders, and drugs; however, the cause may be unknown. CESI is one of the treatments of back pain, in addition to various other modalities including surgical interventions. CESI has gained rapid and widespread acceptance for the treatment of lumbar and lower extremity pain. However, there are only a few well-designed, randomized, controlled studies on the effectiveness of steroid injections. Consequently, side effects should be considered. We aimed to present a persistent hiccup after CESI for chronic low back pain.