Abstract:

Objective  To observe the curative effect of elderly patients with cervical pain by ultrasound-guided selective cervical nerve root block. Methods  A total of 83 elderly patients with cervical pain underwent ultrasound-guided selective cervical nerve block according to involved cervical nerve root segments. Patients were followed up and their scores of visual analogue scale (VAS) and neck disability index (NDI) before treatment and 1 and 6 months after treatment were compared. The therapeutic effect was evaluated according to Odom criteria.  Results  The follow-up was completed for 50 patients. Scores of VAS and NDIs 1 and 6 months after treatment were significantly better than those of before treatment (P<0.05). According to the Odom criteria, the overall excellent and good rates 1 and 6 months after treatment were 90% and 82%, respectively. Adverse reactions were not found among all patients. Conclusion  Ultrasound-guided selective cervical nerve root block is a safe and effective method for the treatment of elderly patients with cervical pain.

Key words: ultrasound-guided, selective cervical nerve root block, elderly, cervical pain