Korean J Pain.  2006 Dec;19(2):241-243. 10.3344/kjp.2006.19.2.241.

Improvement of Spinal Central Pain by Brachial Plexus Block: A case report

• Kim OS
• Lee WY
• Yoo BH
• Lim YH
• Kim SO

• KMID: 2073938
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3344/kjp.2006.19.2.241

Abstract

Central pain is defined as pain associated with lesions of the central nervous system, and is among the most intractable of chronic pain syndromes. A 47 year-old-female, who had right arm and shoulder pain, was diagnosed with syringomyelia of the Arnold Chiari malformation type I and received foramen magnum decompression and a syringo-subarachnoid shunt. After the operation, the evoked pain was improved, but she complained of a continuous burning pain, coupled with cold and tactile allodynia. This symptom failed to fully subside on administration of oral medicine; therefore, brachial plexus block was performed, which relieved her pain transiently. Through repeated trials, a gradual decrease in the pain intensity and frequency was found. However, the way in which brachial plexus block improves spinal central pain is not completely known.

Keyword

brachial plexus block; central pain; syringomyelia

MeSH Terms

Arm
Arnold-Chiari Malformation
Brachial Plexus*
Burns
Central Nervous System
Chronic Pain
Decompression
Foramen Magnum
Hyperalgesia
Oral Medicine
Shoulder Pain
Syringomyelia