Neuromodulation in the Management of Pain from Brachial Plexus Injury

Abstract

We are presenting a paper on the effectiveness of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) in 2 patients suffering pain from brachial plexus injury (BPI). After a traumatic brachial plexus lesion about 80% of patients develop pain in the deafferentated arm. This pain is considered very resistant to many forms of therapy. In the early 1970s, SCS was introduced in the treatment of BPI pain with disappointing results. There are only about 20 published cases of BPI pain treated with SCS. Many injuries are due to motorcycle accidents, so that patients are often young and require long-term pain relief. During the SCS trial the pain relief was more than 50% with an absolute improvement in the quality of life and significant drug reduction. The results of the SCS were excellent in these 2 patients, defined as more than 50% pain relief at 6 and 18 months. Key words: Spinal cord stimulation, brachial plexus injury, neurophatic pain.