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Lumbar Sympathetic Treatment in the Management of Lower Limb Pain

  • Anesthetic Techniques in Pain Management (D Wang, Section Editor)
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Abstract

The sympathetic system has been a target for interventional treatment since the early half of the 20th century. One area targeted for treatment has been the lumbar sympathetics for lower limb pain. Physicians have treated various neuropathic and ischemic conditions employing the use of sympathetic procedures as a mode of treatment, yet the studies strongly supporting the utility of the procedure have been lacking. Anatomic studies have brought to light the complexity and variation that exists with identifying the locations of the ganglion. Studies have investigated the different methods to determine the highest yield and less risky approaches in performing the technique. Many studies have reported positive results with blockade and neurolysis, but review of the literature reveals poor strength quality and small sample population. These reports should be viewed as building blocks for more robust investigation. Interpretation of the results should be performed with caution, and translation into common practice implemented on a case by case basis.

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Conflict of Interest

R. Abramov declares that he has no conflicts of interest.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology, Department of Rehabilitation, Thomas Jefferson University, 834 Chestnut Street, Suite T-150, Philadelphia, PA, 19017, USA

    Ronnen Abramov

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  1. Ronnen Abramov
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Correspondence to Ronnen Abramov.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Anesthetic Techniques in Pain Management

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Abramov, R. Lumbar Sympathetic Treatment in the Management of Lower Limb Pain. Curr Pain Headache Rep 18, 403 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-014-0403-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-014-0403-x

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