Pregabalin for Refractory Radicular Leg Pain due to Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: A Preliminary Prospective Study

We investigated the efficacy of pregabalin (PGB) for neuropathic leg pain in lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) patients with disturbed activities of daily living (ADL)/quality of life (QOL) in a prospective observational study. Subjects were a total of 104 LSS patients with neuropathic pain (NeP) in leg...

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Main Authors: Sumihisa Orita, Masaomi Yamashita, Yawara Eguchi, Miyako Suzuki, Gen Inoue, Masayuki Miyagi, Tomoko Watanabe, Tomoyuki Ozawa, Hiroto Kamoda, Tetsuhiro Ishikawa, Yasuchika Aoki, Toshinori Ito, Go Kubota, Munetaka Suzuki, Kazuyo Yamauchi, Eiji Hanaoka, Yoshihiro Sakuma, Jun Shimbo, Yasuhiro Oikawa, Takane Suzuki, Kazuhisa Takahashi, Seiji Ohtori
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2016-01-01
Series:Pain Research and Management
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/5079675
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Summary:We investigated the efficacy of pregabalin (PGB) for neuropathic leg pain in lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) patients with disturbed activities of daily living (ADL)/quality of life (QOL) in a prospective observational study. Subjects were a total of 104 LSS patients with neuropathic pain (NeP) in leg and neurological intermittent claudication (IMC) refractory to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for at least a month. NeP was identified using screening tool, Pain DETECT questionnaire. Visual analog scale (VAS) scores and responses to the Japanese Orthopaedic Association Back Pain Evaluation Questionnaire (JOABPEQ) were assessed before and 6 weeks after PGB treatment initiation. Changes in IMC distance and adverse events were also recorded. PGB significantly improved their VAS scores for pain and sleep quality (P<0.001). With respect to JOABPEQ, significant improvements were observed with regard to the following dimensions: pain-related disorders (P<0.01), lumbar spine dysfunction (P=0.031), gait disturbance (P=0.028), and psychological disorders (P=0.014). The IMC distance showed an improvement tendency after PGB treatment, albeit with no significance (P=0.063). Minor adverse events such as dizziness were observed. PGB can be effective for neuropathic leg pain refractory to NSAIDs in LSS patients, resulting in not only pain control but also improving lower back pain-related ADL/QOL scores.
ISSN:1203-6765
1918-1523