Pulsed radiofrequency of lumbar dorsal root ganglion for chronic postamputation phantom pain.

Abstract

Chronic pain following lower-limb amputation is now a well-known neuropathic, chronic-pain syndrome that usually presents as a combination of phantom and stump pain. Controlling these types of neuropathic pain is always complicated and challenging. If pharmacotherapy does not control the patient’s pain, interventional procedures have to be taken.The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of using pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) on the dorsal root ganglia at the L4 and L5 nerve roots to improve phantom pain.Two patients with phantom pain were selected for the study. After a positive response to segmental nerve blockade at the L4 and L5 nerve roots, PRF was performed on the L4 and L5 dorsal root ganglia.Global clinical improvement was good in one patient, with a 40% decrease in pain on the visual analogue scale (VAS) in 6 months, and moderate in the second patient, with a 30% decrease in pain scores in 4 months. PRF of the dorsal root ganglia at the L4 and L5 nerve roots may be an effective therapeutic option for patients with refractory phantom pain.