Anesth Pain Med.  2010 Jul;5(3):212-215.

Interventional muscle and nerve stimulation for spasmodic torticollis: A case report

Affiliations
  • 1Chronic Pain Management Center, Kangnam Cha Hospital, CHA University, Seoul, Korea.
  • 2Musculoskeletal Clinic, Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Korea. oemdoc21@gmail.com
  • 3Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

A 49-year-old woman with spasmodic torticollis was treated with interventional muscle and nerve stimulation (IMNS). Her neck was tilted to the left, and her chin was rotated and tilted to the right. Based on patient history, physical examination, and X-ray findings, the right C2-3, C3-4, C4-5 and C5-6 facet joints were selected for IMNS treatment. Under ultrasound guidance, an Ahn's Needle (a specially designed needle for IMNS) was inserted from the midline of the posterior neck and advanced toward a point over the capsule of the facet joints. The needle was moved gently forward and backward within a 1-2 mm range until no resistance was felt at the tip. After undergoing three rounds of IMNS treatment, the dystonic features were grossly normal but spontaneous activities of the muscles innervated by C6 remained. Although we did not demonstrate complete improvement of spasmodic torticollis, our report suggests that IMNS has therapeutic value for spasmodic torticollis.

Keyword

Intervention; Stimulation; Torticollis

MeSH Terms

Chin
Female
Humans
Middle Aged
Muscles
Neck
Needles
Physical Examination
Torticollis
Zygapophyseal Joint
Full Text Links
  • APM
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr