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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2023 Jul 7.
Published in final edited form as: Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2021 Dec 8;47(2):89–99. doi: 10.1136/rapm-2021-103247

Table 1.

Baseline Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of Study Subjects

Characteristic Facet Interventions (N=112) Sacroiliac Joint Injections (N=67) Epidural Steroid Injection (N=167) Total Cohort (N=346) P-Value
Age, years (mean ± SD) 51 ± 14 53 ± 16 52 ± 14 52 ± 14 0.68
Sex (n, %)
 Female 53 (47.3%) 43 (64.2%) 89 (53.3%) 161 (46.5%) 0.091
 Male 59 (52.7%) 24 (35.8%) 78 (46.7%) 185 (53.5%)
Duration of Pain, years (mean ± SD) 7 ± 7 5 ± 6 5 ± 7 6 ± 7 0.057
Obesity (n, %) 54 (48.2%) 27 (40.3%) 74 (44.3%) 155 (44.8%) 0.58
Smoking (n, %) 24 (21.4%) 10 (14.9%) 47 (28.1%) 81 (23.4%) 0.081
Bilateral Procedure (n, %) 66 (60.0%) 25 (37.9%) 59 (35.3%) 150 (43.7%) < 0.001
Inciting Event (n, %) 41 (36.6%) 31 (46.3%) 52 (31.1%) 124 (35.8%) 0.091
Opioid Use (n, %) 21 (18.8%) 13 (19.4%) 30 (18.0%) 64 (18.5%) 0.96
Nonopioid Medication Use 1
 Any Nonopioid 83 (74.1%) 47 (70.1%) 131 (78.4%) 261 (75.4%) 0.38
 Neuropathic Adjuvant 26 (23.2%) 14 (20.9%) 61 (36.5%) 101 (29.2%) 0.014
 Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug 54 (48.2%) 34 (50.7%) 87 (52.1%) 175 (50.6%) 0.82
 Muscle Relaxant 22 (19.6%) 7 (10.4%) 30 (18.0%) 59 (17.1%) 0.26
 Other Non-Opioid Analgesic 10 (8.9%) 3 (4.5%) 17 (10.2%) 30 (8.7%) 0.37
 Tramadol 16 (14.3%) 7 (10.4%) 26 (15.6%) 49 (14.2%) 0.60
Active Duty (n, %) 27 (24.1%) 14 (20.9%) 15 (9.6%) 57 (16.5%) 0.013
Disability, Worker’s Compensation or Medical Board2 (n, %) 25 (22.9%) 16 (24.6%) 48 (29.6%) 89 (26.5%) 0.44
Co-Existing Chronic Pain Condition (n, %) 3
 Any Pain Condition 82 (73.2%) 37 (55.2%) 91 (54.5%) 210 (60.7%) 0.004
 Neck Pain 21 (18.8%) 11 (16.4%) 25 (15.0%) 57 (16.5%) 0.71
 Headache 11 (9.8%) 6 (9.0%) 11 (6.6%) 28 (8.1%) 0.60
 Arthralgia 55 (49.1%) 23 (34.3%) 48 (28.7%) 126 (36.4%) 0.002
 Neuropathy 10 (8.9%) 8 (11.9%) 17 (10.2%) 35 (10.1%) 0.81
 Abdominal/Pelvic Pain 1 (0.9%) 4 (6.0%) 3 (1.8%) 8 (2.3%) 0.076
 Fibromyalgia 1 (0.9%) 2 (3.0%) 11 (6.6%) 14 (4.0%) 0.054
 Other Chronic Pain 9 (8.0%) 6 (9.0%) 12 (7.2%) 27 (7.8%) 0.90
 Multiple Pain Conditions 13 (11.6%) 9 (13.4%) 22 (13.2%) 44 (12.7%) 0.91
Co-Existing Psychiatric Condition (n, %) 4
 Any Psychiatric Condition 49 (43.8%) 27 (40.3%) 75 (44.9%) 151 (43.6%) 0.81
 Anxiety 22 (19.6%) 14 (20.9%) 38 (22.8%) 74 (21.4%) 0.82
 Depression 25 (22.3%) 13 (19.4%) 44 (26.3%) 82 (23.7%) 0.48
 Posttraumatic stress 4 (3.6%) 3 (4.5%) 7 (4.2%) 14 (4.0%) 0.95
 Substance Abuse History 7 (6.3%) 5 (7.5%) 18 (10.9%) 30 (8.7%) 0.37
 Other 5 (4.5%) 3 (4.5%) 8 (4.8%) 16 (4.6%) 0.99
 Multiple 15 (13.4%) 5 (7.5%) 26 (15.6%) 46 (13.3%) 0.26
Nonorganic Signs (mean ± SD) 5 0.5 ± 1.0 0.6 ± 1.2 0.9 ± 1.3 0.7 ± 1.2 0.035
Expectations (mean ± SD) 6 3.6 ± 1.3 3.9 ± 1.4 4.0 ± 1.3 3.9 ± 1.3 0.047
Athens Insomnia Scale (mean ± SD) 9 ± 5 9 ± 6 10 ± 6 9 ± 5 0.28
Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS; mean ± SD) 11 ± 7 11 ± 9 12 ± 8 12 ± 8 0.46
Oswestry Disability Score (mean ± SD) 36 ± 15 37 ± 17 41 ± 17 39 ± 16 0.030
Procedure-Related Pain (mean ± SD)
 Skin wheal 4.7 ± 2.6 4.7 ± 2.6 3.9 ± 2.7 4.3 ± 2.7 0.019
 Procedure 5.5 ± 2.7 6.4 ± 2.7 4.9 ± 3.0 5.4 ± 2.9 0.001
Average NRS Back Pain Score (mean ± SD) 6.0 ± 1.6 6.2 ± 1.8 5.9 ± 2.3 6.0 ± 2.0 0.46
Worst NRS Back Pain Score (mean ± SD) 8.7 ± 1.3 8.6 ± 1.4 8.3 ± 2.5 8.5 ± 1.9 0.23
Average NRS Leg Pain Score (mean ± SD) 5.9 ± 2.0
Worst NRS Leg Pain Score (mean ± SD) 8.5 ± 1.6

NRS- numerical rating scale

1.

Neuropathic adjuvant includes anticonvulsants and antidepressants. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug also includes acetaminophen. Other non-opioid analgesic includes topical agents such as lidocaine and capsaicin.

2.

Military equivalent of civilian disability.

3.

Denotes active condition (i.e., being treated); other includes post-surgical pain, plantar fasciitis, post-stroke pain, and pain secondary to systemic disease (e.g., lupus, sickle cell anemia).

4.

Denotes active condition (i.e., being treated) except for substance abuse (ongoing recovery); other includes somatic symptom disorder, personality disorder, etc.

5.

Non-organic signs based on 5 categories of Waddell signs.

6.

Expectations based on 6-point Likert scale (1= don’t expect any relief, 6=would only be satisfied with complete pain relief and restoration of function).