Original Article
No influence on the effects of herpes zoster neuralgia treated by nerve blocks with or without glucocorticoid
Song Liping, Guo Yinnan, Wang Jinghui, Li Hui
Published 2017-12-25
Cite as Pain Clin J, 2017,13(6): 421-424. DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.issn.1672-9633.2017.06.007
Abstract
ObjectiveTo assess the efficacy of nerve block with or without glucocorticoid in the management of herpes zoster neuralgia.
MethodsSixty patients with herpes zoster were randomly divided into hormone group and hormone free group, 30 cases in each group. The course of disease was within 3 months and the numerical rating scale (NRS) was≥6. At the same time of conventional therapy, all the patients were treated with nerve block. The cervical, thoracic, lumbar paravertebral nerve blocks were performed by injecting lidocaine 5 ml of the concentrations of 0.4%, 0.4%, 0.8% respectively in hormone free group, while adding dexamethasone 3 mg to the above formula in hormone group. The NRS, cases of excellent and good effect, and treatment times in the two groups were compared.
ResultsNRS was significantly decreased in the two groups after the end of the treatment, followed up for six months and for 1 year. After the treatment, NRS reduced from (7.2±1.1) to (1.8±1.2) in hormone free group, from (7.5±1.4) to (2.0±1.4) in hormone group (P<0.05). By followed up for half a year and 1 year, NRS decreased to (2.0±1.5) and (1.7±1.3) in hormone free group, (1.8±1.3) and (1.9±1.2) in hormone group respectively. There were no significant differences for NRS of each time point, cases of excellent and good effect, and treatment times between the two groups.
ConclusionGlucocorticoid does not promote the efficacy of nerve block in the treatment of herpes zoster neuralgia.
Key words:
Glucocorticoids; Nerve block; Herpes zoster; Neuralgia
Contributor Information
Song Liping
Department of Pain Medicine, Shanxi Provincial People′s Hospital, Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province 030002, China
Guo Yinnan
Wang Jinghui
Li Hui
