Erector Spinae Plane Block for Acute Low Back Pain (ESP-BACK)

Erector Spinae Plane Block for Acute Low Back Pain: a Prospective Double-blind Randomized Multicenter Study

Non-Specific low back pain (NSLB) is an important public health problem with a major economic and social impact. It is defined by the location of pain, between the lower rib margins and the lumbar vertebrae. Medical management of Non-Specific low back pain injury focuses on reducing pain and its consequences. Nowadays, no strategy has shown optimal effectiveness to improve outcome substantially. The ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block (ESPB) is a well-known intermuscular compartment block. In the absence of red flag signs, ESPB can be performed for low back pain to reduce pain, decrease opiate requirements and limit emergency admissions for refractory pain. This study aims to evaluate the impact of the ESPB in patients suffering from NSLB.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Non-specific Low Back Pain (NSLBP)
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: Erector Spinae Plane Block with local anesthetic; Procedure: Erector Spinae Plane Block with isotonic saline

Detailed Description

The study is a multicenter randomized clinical trial. The patients are recruited on the day of admission in the emergency department for Non-Specific low back pain.They are randomly assigned to receive either regional anesthesia with a local anesthetic (ESP BLOCK Group) or placebo (CONTROL Group). The primary objective is to evaluate whether the ESPB is an effective treatment for patients with NSLB pain, by reducing pain and allowing immediate mobility. The secondary objectives of this study are multidimensional and aim to compare patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and patient-reported experience measures (PREMs), as well as clinical and economic outcomes, over a six-month follow-up period.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 300
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Sophie Bringuier, Pharm D PhD; Phone Number: +33467338661; Email: s-bringuierbranchereau@chu-montpellier.fr
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Xavier Cadevila, MD PHD; Email: x-capdevila@chu-montpellier.fr

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adult (≥ 18 years);
• Non-specific low back pain (≤ 5 days);
• Pain score (VAS) ≥ 5 (during mobilization);
• Inability to walk easily (failure of the "Get Up and Go" test in less than 20 seconds).

Exclusion Criteria:

• Low back pain of known specific origin: spine surgery, spine trauma, discal hernia, facet joint, radicular (sciatica, cruralgia, meralgia paresthetica), muscle pain, cancer-related or rheumatological disease;
• Referred or chronic pain;
• Patients with opioids (acute or chronic pain and/or misuse);
• Contraindication to regional anaesthesia;
• Contraindication to ropivacaine, dexamethasone, sodium chloride, NSAID, paracetamol, tramadol;
• Known hypersensitivity to ropivacaine, dexamethasone, other amide-type local anesthetics, or any of the excipients;
• Addiction to drugs, alcohol or medication;
• Patients with anticoagulants for a curative use (not preventive);
• Patients with cancer or risk of bone metastasis or; severe osteoporosis;
• Acute inflammatory diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis…);
• Patient with severe hypotension or uncontrolled hypertension or; Heart Block (uncorrected second- or third-degree heart block without a pacemaker) or; severe bradycardia;
• Patients with severe liver or renal disease or peptic ulcer disease;
• Presence of infection or sepsis at the injection site;
• Patients with uncontrolled bacterial, viral, or protozoan infections or; systemic fungal infections or; active untreated tuberculosis or; active ocular herpes simplex infections;
• Patients with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus;
• Patients with glaucoma or history of severe glaucoma;
• Patients with severe psychiatric conditions;
• Subject unable to read or/and write (inability to complete a self-administered questionnaire);
• Unavailability for follow up during 6 months;
• Participation in another clinical trial involving an investigational medicinal product or medical device within 4 weeks preceding the screening date;
• Pregnancy in progress or planned during the study period or breastfeeding women (Art. L1121-5 of the French Public Health Code);
• Women of childbearing potential (WOCBP) without a negative of highly sensitive pregnancy test before inclusion or not using a highly effective method of contraception;
• Patients protected by law (Art. L1121-6 and L1121-8 of the French Public Health Code): Individuals deprived of their liberty by judicial or administrative decision, minors, adults under law protection or unable to express their consent or patient under guardianship or curatorship;
• Patients not covered by a French social security scheme or not benefiting from such a scheme;
• Absence of signed informed consent form before inclusion from the patient;
• Patient already included in the study.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Experimental group (ESPB); A single injection will be performed at the erector spinae plane site, 20 ml of ropivacaine 0.2% then 8 mg of dexamethasone (2 ml) will be administered sequentially through the same needle using two separate syringes in order to prevent the risk of precipitation between the two solutions. The injection will be performed unilaterally or bilaterally as per the randomization stratification	Procedure: Erector Spinae Plane Block with local anesthetic; Ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block performed under aseptic conditions by an experienced physician, consisting of an interfascial injection in the erector spinae plane using a local anesthetic solution.
Placebo Comparator: Control group (placebo); A single injection of 22 ml isotonic saline solution will be performed at the same anatomical site as the experimental group. To maintain the double-blind design, the saline solution will be administered sequentially through the same needle using two separate syringes (20 mL + 2 mL). The injection will also be performed unilaterally or bilaterally, according to the randomization stratification.	Procedure: Erector Spinae Plane Block with isotonic saline; Ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block performed under aseptic conditions by an experienced physician, consisting of an interfascial injection in the erector spinae plane using an isotonic saline solution.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Rate of Success of the treatment	The primary endpoint is the success of the treatment before hospital discharge defined by a composite criteria combining the reduction of pain on mobilization (50% decrease in pain intensity) and the validation of the "Get up and go" test (in less than 20 seconds).	30 minutes post-procedure

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
VAS Pain assessments	The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) will provide a subjective evaluation of pain severity by the patient on a scale ranging from 0 to 10, where 0 signifies no pain and 10 represents the most intense pain imaginable. This measurement is essential for capturing the patient's own perception of pain following the intervention.	The day of procedure up to 6 months
Consumption of rescue analgesics	Consumption of rescue analgesic (total number of tablets of tramadol)	The day of procedure up to 6 months
Steps counts	Activity levels will be continuously monitored for 3 days using smartwatch technology. Metrics such as the number of steps taken will be recorded.	The day of procedure up to 3 days
Quality of sleep	Sleep duration will be continuously monitored for 3 days using smartwatch technology.	The day of procedure up to day 3
EIFEL score	The EIFEL questionnaireis a 24-item self-administered questionnaire, adapted from the Roland and Morris Disability Questionnaire, used to assess the functional impact of low back pain. For each of the 24 statements, the patient must tick the box if the statement corresponds to their current situation. If the patient is bedridden due to back pain, they must tick the specific box provided before the 24 statements and stop completing the questionnaire. The total score is calculated by summing the number of boxes ticked. A higher total score reflects a greater functional impairment related to low back pain	on day 3
WOMAC scores	The WOMAC questionnaire is a self-administered questionnaire consisting of 24 items divided into three subscales: pain (5 items), stiffness (2 items) and physical Function (17 items). Each item is scored from 0 to 4, yielding a total score ranging from 0 (no disability) to 96 (severe disability). The WOMAC provides valuable insights into the patient's pain levels, stiffness, physical function, and overall impact on daily living.	on day 14, month 3, and month 6
Health-related quality of life Scores	The EQ-5D-5L is a questionnaire used to measure a person's health-related quality of life. It includes five dimensions-mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression-each rated on five levels of severity. The responses form a code that describes the person's health state. It also includes a visual analogue scale (VAS) where individuals rate their overall health on a scale from 0 (worst) to 100 (best)	The day of procedure and at 6 month
Opioid misuse	The POMI questionnaire is a 6-item self-administered questionnaire designed to detect opioid misuse behaviour. Each YES answer is counted as 1 point and each NO answer is counted as 0 points. A score of 2 points or more indicates an opioid use disorder	on day 14, month 3, and month 6
Time to return to work	Tracking the time taken for patients to return to work following treatment provides valuable insights into functional recovery and rehabilitation outcomes	at month 6
Number of physiotherapy sessions	The Number of physiotherapy sessions for low back pain willbe recorded	At month 6
Number of recurrences	Number of recurrences of low back pain willbe recorded	at month 6
Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) pain scores	The Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) questionnaire serves as a comprehensive tool for assessing the severity of pain and its impact on various aspects of daily life. By capturing detailed information about pain experiences, including its intensity, interference with daily activities, and emotional impact, the BPI facilitates a nuanced understanding of the patient's pain experience. The BPI includes 2 subdimensions (pain severity and pain interference) range from 0 (no pain or no interference) to 10 (worst imaginable pain / complete interference)	on day 14, month 3, and month 6
Quality of life SF12 Scores	The SF12 questionnaire is a self-reported outcome measure assessing the impact of health on an individual's everyday life. Patients fill out a 12-question survey across multiple domains covering physical and mental health. Two summary measures will be obtained: the Physical Component Summary (PCS) and the Mental Component Summary (MCS) range from 0 (worst) to 100 (best) quality of life.	at month 3 and month 6

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University Hospital, Montpellier

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): March 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): March 1, 2029
• Study Completion (Estimated): January 1, 2030

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 19, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 19, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): February 25, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 17, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 13, 2026
• Last Verified: February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Erector Spinae Plane Block; Non-Specific low back pain
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Physiological Effects of Drugs; Peripheral Nervous System Agents; Anesthetics; Central Nervous System Depressants; Sensory System Agents; Pharmacologic Actions; Chemical Actions and Uses; Therapeutic Uses; Inorganic Chemicals; Chlorine Compounds; Central Nervous System Agents; Sodium Compounds; Chlorides; Hydrochloric Acid; Anesthetics, Local; Sodium Chloride
• Other Study ID Numbers: RECHMPL23_0409; 2024-511595-32-00 (Ctis)

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No