Article Text
Abstract
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Background and Aims Neuropathy secondary to ulnar nerve entrapment is a painful condition that often persists following surgical decompression. We describe a case of a 54-year-old female experiencing neuropathic pain in her right forearm and hand following three unsuccessful surgical interventions to repair ulnar nerve. Pharmacological treatments failed to alleviate her symptoms, leading to the consideration of peripheral nerve stimulation as an alternative therapeutic approach.
Methods Peripheral nerve stimulation of the right ulnar nerve was proposed and implemented parallel to the nerve and proximal to the lesion.
Results Peripheral nerve stimulation of the ulnar nerve proximal to the elbow resulted in a significant reduction in pain and improvement in disability post-implantation. The patient experienced significant pain relief and during the follow up showed a complete resolution of the symptoms, starting at four hours daily use of the neurostimulator and ending at an occasional use.
Conclusions Peripheral nerve stimulation emerges as a promising intervention for refractory peripheral neuropathic pain in cases of unsuccessful surgical interventions. This case suggests that it is a promising minimally invasive technique that should be considered for treating non-operative upper extremity neuropathic pain. Its properties such as neuromodulation by altering nerve activity through targeted stimulation are evidenced in this case by a notable decrease in neurostimulator usage hours during follow-up.