Spinal cord stimulation for complex regional pain syndrome type I with spinal myoclonus – a case report and review of literature

Abstract

Background

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a chronic neuropathic painful condition, sometimes associated with spinal myoclonus. For intractable cases spinal cord stimulation is an important modality of treatment but the response of specifically myoclonus to this treatment is not well described.

Case Description

A 40-year old male, had a history of trauma 12 years back since when he had intractable neuropathic pain in his both upper limbs with superimposed severely disabling myoclonic jerks. He had been through multiple treatment failures. We inserted a cervical spinal cord stimulator which led to immediate cessation of myoclonic jerks, with significant improvement in visual analogue score and Oswestry disability index.

Conclusion

In patients of chronic intractable cervico-brachial pain disorder with superimposed myoclonus, cervical spinal cord stimulation may be effective against the myoclonus as well as the pain.

Keywords:

• CRPS
• myoclonus
• paddle lead
• retrograde
• spinal cord stimulation

Disclosure statement

No funding or financial support has been received for this submitted work. None of the authors have any personal or institutional financial interest in drugs, materials, or devices described in this submission. There is no conflict of interest.