Cervical Epidural versus Cervical Facet Injection for Patients with Chronic Cervical Pain

Background: Chronic spine pain poses a peculiar diagnostic and therapeutic challenge due to multiple pain sources, overlapping clinical features and nonspecific radiological findings. Facet joint injection is an interventional pain management tool for facet-related spinal pain. Also, epidural injections for managing chronic neck pain are one of the commonly performed interventions. Aim: To compare methods for pain relief in patients with chronic neck pain.Methods: This randomized clinical study included 80 patients suffering from chronic cervical pain where 40 patients had cervical facet injections and other 40 patients had epidural cervical injections. The pain intensity evaluated by Numeric Rating Scale, Korean version of Neck Disability Index for assessing functional level, total opioid, non-steroidal consumption, VAS Score, nausea & vomiting were assessed 0 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, 6hours, 12 hours, 18 hours, and 24 hours post operative.Results: There was no statistical significance between the two study groups regarding demographic data, operative data, verbal numerical rating score, pain intensity, care, neck disability index, opioids consumption, NSAID consumption and complications (nausea and vomiting) incidence as the p-value was > 0.05.Conclusion: Cervical epidural injection and cervical facet injection have been proven to be easy and good interventional management and safe choice to improve the pain degree and lifestyle of the patient and it's daily activities.