Peripheral Nerve Stimulation of the Shoulder: A Technical Primer
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
1-1-2024
Journal
Journal of pain research
Volume
17
DOI
10.2147/JPR.S446901
Keywords
axillary nerve; chronic pain; peripheral nerve stimulation; scapulalgia; shoulder pain; suprascapular nerve
Abstract
Scapulalgia or shoulder pain accounts for 16% of all musculoskeletal complaints in the healthy adult population and becomes more common as we age. When this pain exceeds 3 months in duration, it is deemed to be chronic, and typically treated in an escalating manner. Spanning a continuum of conservative and non-conservative measures, chronic shoulder pain treatments range from rest and physical therapy to surgery. Since each patient presents with a unique spectrum of symptoms a customized treatment plan is often required. Over the lifetime of many of these patients, a variety of treatment options are required. One of these treatment options, peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS), is a minimally invasive procedure in which an electrical impulse is delivered through a percutaneously implanted, small caliber electrode to a peripheral nerve proximal to the lesion which interferes with the pain signals. Over the past several years, significant growth of PNS in the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain has been observed. However, the procedural techniques have not been well described. The foundation of long-term, minimally invasive percutaneous PNS in patients with chronic shoulder pain, and procedural techniques for stimulating the suprascapular and axillary nerves using fluoroscopy or ultrasonography will be described in this report.
APA Citation
Arulkumar, Sailesh; Neuchat, Elisa E.; Ly, Eric; Ly, Austin Ingwei; Fahimipour, Kiana; and Desai, Mehul J., "Peripheral Nerve Stimulation of the Shoulder: A Technical Primer" (2024). GW Authored Works. Paper 4946.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/4946
Department
Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine