Do cervical medial branch blocks have a therapeutic role? a prospective cohort study.

Background: Cervical medial branch blocks (CMBB) are used for the diagnosis of facet joint-related pain. There have been several reports suggesting that they can provide a benefit that significantly outlasts the expected duration of diagnostic blocks. We undertook this study to determine the frequency and extent of this effect in clinical practice.

Methods: 179 patients undergoing 830 individual block levels and who had previously reported 50% relief following a CMBB were recruited using a prospective cohort design and blocks were performed in an outpatient setting. Outcomes monitored at baseline and every 2 weeks for 12 weeks included numerical pain scores, Neck Disability Index and Patient Global Impression of Change. In addition, the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 and Patient Health Questionnaire 9 were completed every 4 weeks.

Results: Statistically significant differences were found for all measures of pain, emotional and physical functioning, when comparing 2 and 12-week measurements to baseline. At 2 weeks, 62.2% of patients reported a 30% or greater decrease in pain scores, which decreased to 22.7% at 12 weeks. Exploratory analysis found no association between age, opioid use, pain etiology, previous surgery, levels treated (upper vs lower cervical) and change in Numerical Rating Score between weeks 0 and 2, as well as between weeks 2 and 12.

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that a proportion of patients undergoing CMBB may experience clinical benefits that exceed the expected duration of local anesthetics. Further research is required to determine the potential clinical applications of these findings.

Trial registration number: NCT04852393.