Background: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of neuropathic pain in patients diagnosed with lumbar disc herniation and to examine the correlation between neuropathic pain and surgical intervention.
Material and methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study involving 217 patients diagnosed with lumbar disc herniation who reported persistent low back pain from January to December 2023. We assessed the existence of neuropathic pain using the Douleur Neuropathique 4 (DN4) questionnaire. We evaluated pain severity using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). We categorized the patients into three groups: non-operated, operated without stabilization, and operated with stabilization.
Results:
The patients had a mean age of 45.09 ± 14.28 years, with 57.6% being male. A DN4 score of > 4 indicated that neuropathic pain was present in more than half (51.2%) of the patients. The prevalence of neuropathic pain was 32.8% in the non-operated cohort, 67.3% in the operated cohort without stabilization, and 85% in the operated cohort with stabilization. Age exhibited a positive link with neuropathic pain score (r = 0.16, p<0.05), whereas no significant association was identified between sex and body mass index (BMI).
Conclusion: Individuals with lumbar disc herniation frequently experience neuropathic pain. Surgical intervention, particularly stabilization surgery, is a significant risk factor for the onset of neuropathic pain. Consequently, it is advisable to assess the risk of neuropathic pain and implement appropriate interventions for patients planned for surgical intervention. Age plays a significant role in the development of neuropathic pain, indicating that older patients require closer monitoring.
Primary Language | English |
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Subjects | Pain |
Journal Section | Articles |
Authors | |
Publication Date | December 31, 2024 |
Submission Date | November 16, 2024 |
Acceptance Date | December 26, 2024 |
Published in Issue | Year 2024 Volume: 7 Issue: 4 |