Table 3 Inclusion and exclusion criteria and baseline characteristics of participants
ID | Inclusion criteria / Previous treatment | Exclusion criteria | Baseline characteristics |
|---|---|---|---|
Low back pain | |||
Holanda 2016 [14] | - low back pain for > 3 months | - cancer in lumbar region - coagulation disturbance - infection - neurologic deficits | PRF treatment group: - 2 males, 9 females - age range: 42–86 years - pain duration range: 3–144 months Lidocaine injection group: - 3 males, 4 females - age range: 33–82 years - pain duration range: 3–48 months Laser treatment group: - 3 males, 7 females - age range: 35–84 years - pain duration range: 14–120 months |
Lee 2018 [15] | - age 20 years or older - predominantly axial low back pain for > 3 months - medication therapy for > 3 months without benefit - physical rehabilitation for > 3 months without benefit | - an identified etiology of low back pain (i.e., grade II or III spondylolisthesis) - positive response to previous spine interventions such as epidural steroids or sacroiliac joint blocks - previous facet interventions, lumbar spine fusion - untreated coagulopathy - concomitant medical (e.g., unstable angina or degenerative osteoarthritis of knee), or psychiatric conditions - concurrent lumbar pain generator (i.e., muscular/fascial pain, or organs within the abdominal cavity) that could confound the diagnosis of low back pain | TFESI DRG block + PRF treatment group: - median age: 74 years, range 53–90 years - median duration of symptoms: 26 months, range: 3–58 months PRF treatment alone group: - median age: 75 years, range 33–93 years - median duration of symptoms: 25 months, range: 3–125 months |
Yang 2010 [16] | - chronic LBP with focal neurologic symptoms for > 3 months | - spinal disorders - coagulopathy - concomitant medical or psychiatric illness | PaMNI group: - 5 males, 11 females - mean age: 55.5 ± 13.9 years Fluoroscopy group: - 2 males, 11 females - mean age: 57.2 ± 14.7 years |
Hsu 2017 [17] | - age 20 years or older - LBP for > 6 months that worsened upon prolonged sitting or standing - failed to improve after at least 3 months of conservative treatment | - sagittal imbalance - spinal listhesis - infection - tumor - stenosis - disc herniation causing nerve root compression | - 29 males, 55 females - mean age: 56.03 ± 9.04 years |
Tsou 2010 [18] | - chronic LBP with or without lower-limb pain for > 6 months - conservative treatment for > 3 months without benefit - participants with symptoms of nerve root compromise due to mild or moderate bulging disc also included | Not given | LBP without lower limb pain group: - 26 males, 23 females - men age: 62.94 ± 12.39 years - level treated: L2: 49 LBP with lower limb pain group: - 33 males, 45 females - men age: 63.88 ± 14.00 years - levels treated: L2: 78, L3: 14, L4: 33, L5: 72, S1: 21 |
Postsurgical pain | |||
Albayrak 2017 [19] | - VAS score of ≥3 during activity - pain lasting for ≥2 months - no improvement with physical medicine and rehabilitation - refractory to pharmacological therapies including paracetamol 2 g/day and the maximum tolerable dose of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for 1 week and pregabalin 300 mg/day for 2 weeks | - any pathological features, such as acute strain or sprain - stroke/central nervous system disease - serious psychiatric disorders - sciatic pain - fibromyalgia - mental impairment affecting ability to understand tests/measures | PRF + TENS + exercise group: - 2 (9.1%) males, 20 (90.9%) females - mean age: 62.1 ± 4.9 years TENS + exercise group: - 2 males (11.8%), 15 (88.2%) females - mean age: 65.8 ± 6.5 years |
Cohen 2006 [20] | - age 18 years or older - duration of pain ≥3 months - VAS score ≥ 5 - pain deemed to be of neuropathic origin based on history and physical examination | - presence of pathology that could account for a majority of persistent symptoms (e.g. recurrent cancer) - untreated coagulopathy - unstable medical or psychiatric condition | PRF treatment group: - 6 males, 7 females - mean age: 45.8 ± 4.7 years Intercostal nerve stimulation: - 7 males, 8 females - mean age: 50.8 ± 4.0 years Medical management group: - 9 males, 12 females - mean age: 48.6 ± 2.4 years |
Fam 2018 [21] | - between 18 and 65 years - refractory to morphine sulfate (MST) and pregabalin | - bleeding tendency - local infection at the site of the intervention - psychological disorders - disturbed anatomy (congenital, traumatic, and postsurgical) - allergy to used medication (local anesthetics and contrast) - inability to lie comfortably during the intervention as the cardiopulmonary distress | Not given |
Pain associated with herpes zoster | |||
Kim 2017 [6] | - participants who underwent the procedure between 30 and 180 days after zoster onset | - trigeminal-nerve-involved zoster - follow-up loss within 6 months after the procedure - participants who did not receive appropriate antiviral treatment during the acute phase of herpes zoster - cases where both procedures were performed between 30 and 180 days of zoster onset | PRF treatment group: - 11 males, 9 females - mean age: 68.10 ± 7.99 years - days from zoster onset: 68.20 ± 40.53 Continuous epidural block group: - 6 males, 16 females - mean age: 70.41 ± 10.25 years - days from zoster onset: 74.09 ± 44.50 |
Cervicogenic headache | |||
van Zundert 2003 [22] | - 18 years or older - chronic pain in the cervical region for > 6 months - pharmacotherapy, physical or manual therapy, TENS, and/or rehabilitation program without benefit - temporary pain relief of at least 50% on 7-point Likert scale after a diagnostic segmental nerve block - ability to understand the information provided - informed consent | - systemic disease - tumor - clinically demonstrable neurologic deficit - signs of radicular compression | - 5 males, 13 females - age range: 27–77 years - duration of pain prior to treatment: < 1–40 years - DRG level treated: C2: 4, C3: 2, C4: 2, C5: 4, C6: 3, C7: 3 |
Zhang 2011 [23] | - initial diagnostic selective the greater occipital nerve blocks with 1.5% lidocaine - pain relief of 90% or more lasting for at least 30 min. | NA | Patient 1: - 40-years-old woman - pain lasting for 5 years Patient 2: - 66-years-old women - pain lasting for 1 year |
Complex regional pain syndrome | |||
Albayrak 2016 [24] | - no improvement with the combined use of medical therapy, physical therapy, and the rehabilitation program | NA | Patient 1: - 69-years-old women - 9 months of previous pain Patient 2: - 48-years-old women |
Apiliogullari 2015 [25] | NA | NA | 16-years-old girl |
Intractable vertebral metastatic pain | |||
Arai 2015 [26] | - confirmed to have vertebral metastases by bone scintigraphy, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging - systemic analgesics did not provide a sound pain relief | - neurological deficit - coagulopathy - significant cardiovascular disease | - 9 males, 6 females - age range: 34–82 years |
Scrotal and inguinal pain | |||
Hofmeester 2013 [27] | - an orchidopexy performed - test block of the relevant DRG with 1 ml of levobupivacaine 0.25% | NA | - 13-years-old boy |
Occipital radiating pain in rheumatoid arthritis | |||
Lee 2015 [28] | - right 3rd occipital and right 4th, - 5th, and 6th cervical medial branch blocks with levobupivacaine (0.3 mL; 0.75%) and triamcinolone (1 mg) were injected at each level | NA | - 74-years-old female - pain lasting for 2–3 years |
Chronic migraine | |||
Li 2018 [29] | - failure of pharmacological therapy and stellate ganglion block - diagnostic C2 block with 1 mL of 2% lidocaine with 75–100% pain relief for only 4 days | NA | - 34-years-old female - 10 years of chronic migraine |