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Some approaches used for chronic back pain are usually performed by anesthesiologists. These are invasive treatments, including epidural steroids, injections, joint and nerve blocks and implantable devices. Injection with anesthetics and/or steroids is one of the treatment modalities used in chronic low back pain, although recent reviews of studies to assess its effectiveness indicate that current evidence is lacking (Bernstein, 2001) (Koes, 1995), (Rozenberg, 1999). Most pain specialists believe that epidural steroid injections can help some patients and that a trial may be worthwhile in selected cases. Similarly, the examination may suggest that the source of the pain is in the joints of the spine and injections into the facet joints or the sacroiliac joints may be justified.
More sophisticated therapies include the use of implantable therapies, specifically spinal cord stimulation or neuraxial infusion.
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