Sens-Map
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Sensory mapping of lumbar facet joint pain
IRAS ID
234242
Contact name
Helen F Galley
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Aberdeen
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 26 days
Research summary
Low back pain is a major cause of chronic pain in the community. Lumbar facet joints are one of the most common sources of pain. A variety of measures such as physiotherapy, pain killers and minimally invasive injections are used to treat lumbar facet joint pain.
Diagnosis of facet joint pain is usually made by using local anaesthesia to block the nerves which supply the facet joints. Then radiofrequency current can be used to interrupt the nerves, called denervation to obtain long term pain relief from facet joint pain. Conventionally two nerves are treated to denervate each facet joint, based on earlier studies.
Recently, some variation has been reported between people in the way the nerve supply gets to the facet joints which may account for both for failure of the treatment or also false negative results during the diagnosis with nerve blocks.
The aim of the present study is to find out whether it is feasible to use the radiofrequency current to locate the nerve supply and reproduce the facet joint pain. If successful this technique will reduce time in theatre for patients, reduce treatment failure when nerve supply vary in location and suggest if the present method of lesioning two nerves to denervate one facet joint is appropriate, thus help in refining the technique to help patients with similar problems in future.REC name
North West - Greater Manchester West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/NW/0587
Date of REC Opinion
10 Oct 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion