Continuous Thoracic Sympathetic Ganglion Block in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Patients with Spinal Cord Stimulation Implantation.

The sympathetic block is widely used for treating neuropathic pain such as complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). However, single sympathetic block often provides only short-term effect. Moreover, frequent procedures for sympathetic block may increase the risk of complications.

Comparison of the Ventral Epidural Spreading in Modified Interlaminar Approach and Transforaminal Approach: A Randomized, Double-Blind Study.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a modified interlaminar (MIL) approach for accessing ventral epidural space compared with the transforaminal (TF) approach.

Study Design: Randomized double blinded control trial

Methods: Eighty-four patients with lumbar radicular pain were randomly assigned into two groups in which drug delivery to the ventral epidural space was performed through either the MIL (n = 42) or the TF approach (n = 42). Within each group, subgroups were classified according to the dominant pathology as assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): bulging disc, herniated nucleus pulposus (HNP), and foraminal stenosis.