Role of psychological distress screening in predicting the outcomes of epidural steroid injection in chronic low back pain.

Background: There is a paucity of studies investigating relationship between psychological distress and effectiveness of epidural steroid injection in patients with chronic lower back pain (CLBP).

Aims: This prospective cohort study assessed whether the outcome can be predicted in CLBP patients undergoing epidural injection by pre-treatment psychological stress stratification using objective screening methods.

Methods: 96 patients with CLBP were recruited to this prospective cohort study.