Alpha Lipoic Acid and Chronic Lumbosacral Radicular Pain

Role of Alpha Lipoic Acid Combined With Pulsed Radiofrequency in Treatment of Chronic Lumbosacral Radicular Pain: Prospective, Randomized Study

In this study, we try to evaluate the effect of using ALA as an adjuvant treatment in patients scheduled for pulsed radiofrequency treatment (PRFT) of the affected dorsal root ganglion (DRG) for treatment of Lumbo-Sacral radicular pain.

Study design: The study is prospective, randomized, and open label started in August 2013 and was completed in March 2017 at Assiut University Hospital, Pain Unit after local ethical committee approval. All patients were informed verbally and in writing about the study, and they signed a detailed written informed consent about the procedure and the nature of the study.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients over 18 years with severe chronic lumbo-sacral radicular pain of more than 6 months duration, not responding to medical treatment, and their Pain scores were > 7 were included in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

• coagulopathy, surgical interference, advanced malignancy, known concurrent neurological or neurodegenerative disease, including those with impaired neurotransmission e.g. myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, breastfeeding or pregnancy, allergy/sensitivity to lidocaine anesthetic or/ and non-ionic contrast media or/and steroid therapy, active psychiatric or mental conditions and uncontrolled medical condition.