Erector Spinae Plane Block for Acute Back Pain in the Emergency Department

Description

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if an erector spinae plane block (ESPB; a type of nerve block) works to reduce pain in adults presenting to the emergency department with low back pain. It will also learn if the ESPB reduces pain, disability, and return to work at 7 days. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Does the ESPB reduce short-term pain in participants with low back pain? 2. Does the ESPB reduce longer-term pain, reduce disability, and improve return to work and activities in participants with low back pain? Researchers will compare ESPB to a placebo (an injection that does not involve a nerve block) to see if ESPB works to treat low back pain. Participants will: Receive either the ESPB or a placebo injection in the emergency department Report their pain scores for up to 120 minutes Report their pain, disability, and return to work at 7 days

Conditions

Low Back Pain

Study Overview

Study Details

Study overview

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if an erector spinae plane block (ESPB; a type of nerve block) works to reduce pain in adults presenting to the emergency department with low back pain. It will also learn if the ESPB reduces pain, disability, and return to work at 7 days. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Does the ESPB reduce short-term pain in participants with low back pain? 2. Does the ESPB reduce longer-term pain, reduce disability, and improve return to work and activities in participants with low back pain? Researchers will compare ESPB to a placebo (an injection that does not involve a nerve block) to see if ESPB works to treat low back pain. Participants will: Receive either the ESPB or a placebo injection in the emergency department Report their pain scores for up to 120 minutes Report their pain, disability, and return to work at 7 days

Erector Spinae Plane Block for Acute Back Pain in the Emergency Department

Erector Spinae Plane Block for Acute Back Pain in the Emergency Department

Condition
Low Back Pain
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

Chicago

Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60612

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • * Adults (age ≥18 years) presenting to the emergency department with isolated low back pain present less than 6 total weeks.
  • * Do not speak English or Spanish as a primary language
  • * Are incarcerated
  • * Have a known pregnancy
  • * Are allergic to amide-type local anesthetics
  • * Are unable to tolerate positioning for the procedure
  • * Have a critical illness precluding the ability to perform the procedure.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 Years to

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Collaborators and Investigators

Rush University Medical Center,

Michael Gottlieb, MD, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, Rush University Medical Center

Study Record Dates

2026-06-30