Abstract
Departmention (SCS) has been used for cases resistant to non-interventional pain management and nerve blocks such as failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS), complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Only a few reports of SCS for an upper limb pain associated with cervical vertebral surgery have involved patients suffering from CRPS type I, however. A 64-year-old man was referred to our pain clinic because of severe upper limb pain after cervical vertebral surgery. Several types of medication including morphine and repeated nerve blocks both failed to relieve his pain. Continuous epidural block was at least partially effective, suggesting his epidural space was not totally occluded with adhesions. However, infection of the epidural tubing site necessitated removal of the tube. Based on these findings, we chose SCS treatment for this patient. SCS treatment was performed and immediately relieved his upper limb pain and allodynia. We conclude that SCS may be a useful option for the treatment of CRPS type I in upper limb associated with cervical vertebral surgery.
