[The epidural administration of steroids and local anesthetics as the basis for the pathogenetic therapy of a radicular pain syndrome in the stages of its development].
The efficacy of epidural administration of a steroid drug kenalog combined with low-dose 1% lidocaine solution was assessed in 26 patients with discal hernias at various stages of the radicular pain syndrome. Registration of paired H-reflex helped define the neurophysiological criteria objectively indicating cure and normalization of the reduced activities of inhibitory structures of the spinal segmentary system as a result of therapy in patients with the radicular syndrome. The efficacy of this method ranges between 57.3 and 100% and depends on the disease duration, therefore it is preferable at the early stages of the disease (up to 4-6 months). Failure of therapy after 3 successive epidural blockings at 6-7-day intervals may be considered as an indication to surgery.