Possibilities for the tool monitoring of neuralgia therapy

Abstract

AIM. To study the possibility of using a paired (test) H-reflex recovery test in the expert assessment of the intensity of acute pain syndromes and in the control of performed therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS. The authors analyzed 40 patients treated for radicular pain syndrome (RPS) caused by disk protrusion or herniation at the lumbar spine with the pain intensity of up to 9 points on digital rank scale of pain. As a clinical model they used a pathogenetically sound therapeutic blockade method including glucocorticosteroids for the therapy of acute neuralgia and basic medical therapy with Arcoxia 120 mg/day. Investigations were conducted to study the specific features of early recovery of test H-reflex caused in pair with a conditioning H-reflex in both healthy volunteers and patients with obvious RPS. RESULTS. There were different features of paired H-reflex recovery in healthy individuals and patients with RPS during different treatment options. Recovery of test H-reflex in the range of 150-200 msec can be a criterion for a pain state. CONCLUSION. The clinical test reflex recovery technique may be used in the diagnosis and monitoring of the performed therapy of acute pain syndromes, as well as in the expert examination of pain states.

Keywords

• electromyography
• h-reflex
• acute pain
• neuralgia
• epidural blockades
• glucocorticosteroids
• nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs