The Effect of Erector Spinae Plane Block on Chronic Thoracic Pain

Dr Kifah Suhail Abed, Dr. lyad Abbas Salman

Abstract: Background: Chronic thoracic pain is a debilitating condition and presents a challenge for clinicians in managing it with oral and topical medications. The erector spinae plane block, first introduced by Forero in 2016 as an interprosthetic closure in the management of chronic thoracic pain, offers promising solutions as part of a multidisciplinary approach for patients with chronic pain from various etiologies. Aim of the study: To investigate the effect of the erector spinae plane block in patients with chronic thoracic pain from various etiologies. Methods: An interventional study was conducted at the Pain Management Clinic of Ghazi Al-Hariri Specialized Surgery Hospital/Medical City, Baghdad, Iraq, over a 15-month period from September 1, 2018, to December 1, 2019. It included 30 patients with chronic thoracic pain who were scheduled for nerve-level closure of the erector spinae muscle to alleviate their pain. Patients were followed up by telephone for one week after each procedure and reviewed at the clinic two weeks later to assess response, the need for further injections, and adjustments to their pain management plan. The outcome measures included pain relief assessment using a numerical pain rating scale. Results: In this study, the most common pain type was burning (30%), followed by tingling or pins-and-needles (23.3%). Pain scores decreased significantly at all time points. Patients who used pain relief had more severe pain scores three days and one week after nerve block of the erector spinae muscle. There was a statistically significant correlation between gender and pain relief factors. Conclusion: Nerve block of the erector spinae muscle in chronic thoracic pain has proven effective in improving pain in these patients and establishes itself as a useful intervention when the success of conventional treatments is limited.

Keywords: Chronic pain, Erector spinae plane block, Pain Management

How to Cite?: Dr Kifah Suhail Abed, Dr. lyad Abbas Salman, "The Effect of Erector Spinae Plane Block on Chronic Thoracic Pain", Volume 14 Issue 12, December 2025, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 1962-1966, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR251222155721, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR251222155721