Impact of transforaminal epidural steroid injection on pain, disability, and kinesiophobia in lumbar disc herniation with radicular pain.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The aim was to evaluate the effect of single-level transforaminal epidural steroid injection (TFESI) on kinesiophobia (KP) in patients with lumbar radicular pain (RP) caused by single-root, single-level lumbar disc herniation (LDH).

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

A total of 63 patients diagnosed with unilateral single-level radicular pain due to LDH and treated with single-level TFESI were included. The Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), modified Oswestry Disability Index (MODI), Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK), and Neuropathic pain (NP)-Douleur Neuropathique 4 Questionnaire (DN4) were used before the procedure and at 3 weeks and 3 months postoperatively.

RESULTS

At baseline, 76.19% (n = 48) of the patients exhibited KP. Significant improvements were observed in the NRS, TSK, MODI, and DN4 scores at both 3 weeks and 3 months (p < 0.001). Clinical outcomes were similar between the patients with and without KP, except for DN4 scores, which remained significantly higher in the KP group. A ≥50% reduction in the TSK score at the 3-month follow-up was positively correlated with ≥50% improvements in the NRS, MODI, and DN4 scores. Additionally, a longer symptom duration was negatively associated with the degree of improvement in the TSK.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that TFESI is an effective and safe method for alleviating pain and kinesiophobia in patients with chronic radicular pain due to LDH. Clinicians should be aware that a prolonged duration of symptoms is a risk factor that negatively influences the effectiveness of TFESI in cases of KP.