Do you suffer from persistent shoulder pain following a surgery?
Shoulder pain is one of the most common types of pain that may affect a person. In fact, the shoulder is responsible for almost half of all joint dislocations in the US and among those, the axillary nerve is frequently injured. If pain persists following surgery, it is typically the result a damaged nerve. The other possibility is advanced shoulder disease which does not respond to conservative options and surgery is not recommended. In this case modulation of the primary nerves responsible for shoulder sensation can be an answer. Those are primarily suprascapular and less so axillary nerves. If pain associated with the suprascapular and/or axillary nerve is left untreated, the pain can become chronic and lead to allodynia (pain/sensitivity to light touch) and hyperalgesia (increased sensitivity to pain). At Advanced Pain Management Center, Vladimir Fiks, MD offers a minimally invasive procedure called peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) to help deal with nerve pain associated with the shoulder.
Typical conservative treatments may include:
Peripheral nerve stimulation gives patients an alternative to medications and/or injections, especially when physical therapy is not working for them. In fact, PNS may help to increase rehabilitation during physical therapy.
PNS works by targeting the nerves of the peripheral nervous system that are responsible for the pain. Wire-like electrodes are placed next to one or more of the peripheral nerves. In the case of the intractable shoulder pain PNS typically targets the suprascapular nerve. Occasionally, the axillary nerve also needs to be treated. PNS works by blocking the pain signals sent from the affected nerve to the brain and replacing it with a more pleasant sensation, or no feeling at all. Typically, a one week trial is first conducted in which the patient is able to determine for themselves whether they gain enough relief from the treatment. If relief of over 50% is established, the implantation can proceed. Patients are able to go home the day of the procedure and full recovery time typically takes 6-8 weeks.
If you are suffering from intractable shoulder pain do not hesitate to call our office today and schedule a consultation with Dr. Fiks. Peripheral nerve stimulation may significantly improve your quality of life.
