Rheumatoid arthritis is a common type of autoimmune arthritis that is characterized by inflammation of the synovial membranes. Even though any joint can be affected by the disease, cervical spine is often affected, and cervical pain is reported by 40-88% of RA patients, Cervical spine involvement is a feature of long-lasting disease, where atlantoaxial impaction with odontoid process vertical subluxation through the foramen magnum being one of the greatest and dangerous complications
To our knowledge the effectiveness of 3rd occipital nerve blocks in managing chronic upper neck pain, headache in RA patients is not measured yet, so we aimed at assessing the the effectiveness of 3rd occipital nerve blocks in headache management in RA patients who used other medical agents and to compare the results with those of the patients who used only 3rd occipital nerve pulsed radiofrequancy on clinical and radiographic bases.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
60
), received bilateral 3rd occipital nerve RF under fluoroscopic guidance. Levobupivacaine (0.3 mL; 0.75%) and triamcilonone (1 mg) were injected at each level
received systemic steroids oral prednisolone tablet, 10 mg/day
Emad Zarief Kamel Said
Asyut, Egypt
neck disability index score
maximum score = 50 worst paint , lowest score = no pain
Time frame: 6 months
Severity of headache Visual analog scale
maximum scale= 100 worst paint , lowest scale = no pain
Time frame: 6 months
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