{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,7]],"date-time":"2026-08-07T15:01:25Z","timestamp":1786114885998,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,28]],"date-time":"2025-05-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1748390400000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"University of Washington Clinical Learning, Evidence and Research (CLEAR) Center for Musculoskeletal Research","award":["P30AR072572"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["P30AR072572"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Reg Anesth Pain Med"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,9]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,8]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Cervical medial branch blocks (CMBB) are used for the diagnosis of facet joint-related pain. There have been several reports suggesting that they can provide a benefit that significantly outlasts the expected duration of diagnostic blocks. We undertook this study to determine the frequency and extent of this effect in clinical practice.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>179 patients undergoing 830 individual block levels and who had previously reported 50% relief following a CMBB were recruited using a prospective cohort design and blocks were performed in an outpatient setting. Outcomes monitored at baseline and every 2 weeks for 12 weeks included numerical pain scores, Neck Disability Index and Patient Global Impression of Change. In addition, the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 and Patient Health Questionnaire 9 were completed every 4 weeks.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Statistically significant differences were found for all measures of pain, emotional and physical functioning, when comparing 2 and 12-week measurements to baseline. At 2 weeks, 62.2% of patients reported a 30% or greater decrease in pain scores, which decreased to 22.7% at 12 weeks. Exploratory analysis found no association between age, opioid use, pain etiology, previous surgery, levels treated (upper vs lower cervical) and change in Numerical Rating Score between weeks 0 and 2, as well as between weeks 2 and 12.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Our findings suggest that a proportion of patients undergoing CMBB may experience clinical benefits that exceed the expected duration of local anesthetics. Further research is required to determine the potential clinical applications of these findings.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Trial registration number<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      <jats:ext-link xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" ext-link-type=\"clintrialgov\" xlink:href=\"NCT04852393\">NCT04852393<\/jats:ext-link>\n                      .\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1136\/rapm-2025-106457","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,29]],"date-time":"2025-05-29T05:30:21Z","timestamp":1748496621000},"page":"886-893","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Do cervical medial branch blocks have a therapeutic role? a prospective cohort 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