Erector Spinae Plane Block in Patients with Low Back Pain

The erector spinae plane (ESP) block is a novel interfascial block technique which was first described by Forero et al [1], in 2016 to relieve thoracic neuropathic pain. Although the first description of ESP block was its use in thoracic neuropathic pain, the use of ESP block for the purpose of postoperative pain control has expanded a lot to include variable clinical situation. In the abdomen and thoracic wall, thoracic ESP can be applied for pain control after cardiac surgery [2], mastectomy [3], video-assisted thoracic surgery [4], and thoracotomy [5]. More recently, good postoperative pain controls have been reported after lumbar spinal or lower limb surgeries when lumbar ESP was applied [6,7]. The advantage of ESP block over neuraxial analgesia includes relatively simple technique with ultrasound guidance, lesser sympathetic block with fewer cardiovascular side effects, and safe regional block option even in patients with an altered hemostasis [1,2,8,9]. For the safe performance of ESP block, ultrasound guidance is always required. Not infrequently, we can encounter female chronic pain patient who is pregnant or planning a pregnancy in the pain clinic. Such female pregnant patients have very limited option to relieve their pain. Therefore, if injection technique with ultrasound guidance could provide good analgesia, it would be the best treatment option compared to fluoroscopic guided injection or taking any medication. We describe case series of 3 patients with subacute low back pain in whom the ESP block was performed for their pain relief. One of three patients presented that she was trying to be pregnant although urine or blood test was not confirmed yet. pISSN 2092-8335 · eISSN 2733-5380 Keimyung Med J [Epub ahead of print] https://doi.org/10.46308/kmj.2022.00122 Case Report