USG CMBB DSA Study
This study is for people who have neck pain and are having special injections that can help. These injections 'freeze' small nerves around the joints in your neck, which helps reduce pain. Normally, doctors use X-rays to guide the needle, but this study uses a newer method called ultrasound. The main aim is to check how often a tiny amount of the pain-relieving liquid accidentally goes into a blood vessel during these injections when ultrasound is used. While this isn't usually harmful, it can sometimes affect how well we understand if the treatment truly worked. By studying this, doctors hope to make these injections even safer and more reliable for diagnosing and treating your neck pain.
At a glance
What is this study about?
When you have ongoing neck pain, sometimes doctors suggest an injection into a specific area in your neck. These injections target small nerves that supply the joints in your neck, which can be a common source of neck pain. If these nerves are 'frozen' for a short time, it can tell your doctor if your neck joints are indeed causing your pain, helping them plan the best treatment for you.
Traditionally, doctors have used X-ray pictures to help them guide the needle to exactly the right spot for these injections. However, there's a newer way using something called ultrasound. Ultrasound uses sound waves to create images, much like how it's used to see a baby during pregnancy. One of the benefits of ultrasound over X-rays is that it can help doctors see important structures like blood vessels while they are placing the needle, helping them avoid these areas.
This study will carefully look at injections guided by ultrasound. Doctors want to see how often, even with ultrasound guidance, a tiny amount of the injected liquid accidentally enters a blood vessel. While this often doesn't cause any problems for you, it's important for doctors to understand. If this happens, it can sometimes make it seem like the injection didn't work, even if it might have targeted the right pain source. By studying this, researchers hope to show that ultrasound guidance makes these injections even more precise and reliable for diagnosing and treating neck pain.
Key takeaways
- This study helps make neck pain injections safer and more precise.
- It uses ultrasound guidance, a newer way to guide needles.
- Participation means having your planned neck injection with extra monitoring.
- There are no extra visits or medications for you.
- Your contribution helps improve care for future patients with neck pain.
Who may be eligible?
To be part of this study, you need to be at least 19 years old and already planning to have an ultrasound-guided neck injection as part of your normal care for neck pain. Your doctor will make sure this injection is suitable for you as part of your regular treatment before considering the study.
There are some reasons why you wouldn't be able to join. For example, if you have any known problems with your blood clotting or if you're taking blood-thinning medicines (other than aspirin). You also can't be in the study if the doctors can't get a clear ultrasound picture of the area they need to inject, or if you have an allergy to the special dye sometimes used in medical imaging.
Basically, the study is for adults who are already having a specific type of neck injection using ultrasound, and who don't have any medical conditions or medications that would make it unsafe to take part.
Could this study suit you?
Answer these quick questions to see if you may be eligible. This is a guide only — the research team makes the final call.
- Are you 19 years old or older?
- Are you already scheduled to have an ultrasound-guided neck injection for pain?
- Do you have good general health without blood clotting problems?
- Are you not taking any strong blood-thinning medications (other than aspirin)?
- Are you able to get a clear ultrasound image of your neck for the procedure?
What does participation involve?
If you decide to take part in this study, you won't have any extra appointments, medications, or follow-up visits beyond what you would normally have for your neck injection. You will simply have your planned ultrasound-guided neck injection as usual. During this procedure, the doctors will use specialized imaging techniques (like a very detailed X-ray called DSA, which is the gold standard for spotting liquid in blood vessels) to carefully check if any of the injected liquid enters a blood vessel. This extra check happens at the time of your injection and doesn't involve any additional steps for you after you leave.
The total duration of your participation is just for the time you are having your neck injection, as the special checks are done during the procedure itself.
Potential risks and benefits
Locations (1)
- Bill Nelems Pain and Research CentreVerified postcodeKelowna, Canada· Recruiting
Common questions
What is a 'neck injection' in this study?
It's an injection often given for neck pain, designed to temporarily 'freeze' small nerves near your neck joints to help find the source of your pain.
What is ultrasound guidance?
It's a way doctors use sound waves to create live images, helping them see clearly inside your body and guide the needle accurately during the injection.
Will I get extra medicine or appointments if I join?
No, you won't have any extra medicines or appointments. You'll simply be undergoing your planned neck injection as normal.
What exactly are researchers looking for?
They're checking how often a tiny amount of the injection liquid accidentally goes into a blood vessel when ultrasound is used, to make treatments more precise.
Will my regular neck pain treatment be affected?
No, your regular medical care and eventual treatment for neck pain will not be affected by your decision to join or not join this study.
How to find out more
Roderick J Finlayson, MD
Always speak to your GP or specialist before deciding to take part in a study.
Interested in taking part?
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