Radiculopathy, Lumbosacral Region

This will be a placebo controlled, randomized, double-blind, comparative effectiveness study, in which we patients are enrolled during an emergency department (ED) visit for acute radicular low back pain (LBP) and followed by telephone two and seven days later. Patients will be randomized to receive an oral dose of dexamethasone for 2 consecutive days or placebo during an ED visit for acute radicular LBP. Every patient will receive a 7 day supply of ibuprofen and a low back pain education session.

This study aims to evaluate the treatment response and lumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of patients who have undergone pulsed radiofrequency therapy for chronic radicular lumbar pain at the dorsal root ganglia. By comparing young (18-64 years) and geriatric (≥65 years) patient groups, the study seeks to assess the impact of age on treatment response and opioid consumption. Additionally, it aims to analyze the potential relationship between paraspinal muscle fat infiltration and treatment outcomes.