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№3' 2014

NEUROLOGY

International Medical Journal, Vol. 20., Iss. 3, 2014, P. 58−62.


Efficacy of complex treatment of acute pain syndrome caused by discogenic lumbosacral radiculopathy using psychotherapy methods


Kovtun I. I., Lytvynenko N. V.

Ukrainian Medical Dentistry Academy, Poltava, Ukraine

One of the major problems of modern neuroscience is the issue of the effectiveness of treatment of acute pain syndrome caused by discogenic radiculopathy. At radiculopathy pain can last for several weeks or even months and in severe cases years. At prolonged pain syndrome depressive disorders can occur 3−4 times more frequently than in traditional cases. This reduces the patient's life span and leads to viability loss. The question about effectiveness of psychotherapeutic methods at acute pain syndrome caused by discogenic lumbosacral radiculopathy has not been studied and discussed. Relaxation treatment can be one of psychotherapeutic method in order to treat acute pain syndrome. The aim of this investigation was to compare the traditional treatment (non−steroid anti−inflammatory drugs, neuromuscular relaxants, vitamins) and complex therapy (traditional treatment) and psychotherapeutic method of relaxation treatment. The study involved 49 patients (20 men and 29 women) aged 28−55 with acute pain syndrome associated with compression of L5 or S1 against a background of intervertebral disk protrusion. Pain questionnaire by Mac−Gill, visual analogue scale, Spielberger−Hanin test, Schober test, Tomaier test, depression scale by Beck, Rolland − Morris questionnaires were used to determine the problems caused by acute pain syndrome. The patients were divided into two groups. The controls consisted of 26 patients who obtained traditional treatment while 23 patients were administered relaxation treatment. The treatment course lasted for 14 days. The patients were performed complex examination on day 1 and 14 of the observation. The analysis of the treatment results demonstrated that the use of psychotherapy more effectively reduced clinical signs of the disease, decreased the pain intensity, the level of state and trait anxiety, depression level, which improved the level of vital activity of the patients by 51.3±4.6 %.

Key words: acute pain syndrome, discogenic lumbosacral radiculopathy, autogenic relaxation.


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