scholarly journals Evaluation of the efficacy of unipolar and bipolar spinal dorsal root ganglion radiofrequency thermocoagulation in the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia

2022 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 114-123
Author(s):  
Jianjun Zhu ◽  
Ge Luo ◽  
Qiuli He ◽  
Ming Yao
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianjun Zhu ◽  
Keyue Xie ◽  
Songlei Liu ◽  
Qiuli He ◽  
Ge Luo ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: At present, different views have been proposed on the radiofrequency treatment modes and parameters of radiofrequency thermocoagulation of the spinal dorsal root ganglion for the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia. It is urgent to identify a novel and more effective radiofrequency therapy for patients with postherpetic neuralgia. Methods: A total of 60 patients who underwent radiofrequency thermocoagulation therapy for postherpetic neuralgia in the pain department of our Hospital were retrospectively reviewed from January 2013 to November 2017. According to the different surgical methods, the patients were divided into the following groups: unipolar group (CRF) and bipolar group (DCRF). Subsequently, the pain scores (NRS) were evaluated at the following specific time points: before the operation, on the 1st day after the operation, in 3 and 6 months after the operation and in 1 and 2 years after the operation. Moreover, the incidence of intraoperative and postoperative complications and the degree of pain relief were evaluated in order to assess the efficacy and prognosis of radiofrequency thermocoagulation in the two groups. The in vitro ovalbumin experiment was used to indicate the effects of unipolar and bipolar radiofrequency thermocoagulation.Results: In this study, the intra-group comparison indicated that compared with the preoperative NRS, the postoperative NRS decreased significantly; the inter-group comparison demonstrated that the NRS of the DCRF group was lower than that of the CRF group at all time points from 6 months to 2 years following the operation. The total effective rate of the DCRF group was significantly higher than that of the CRF group in 2 years following the operation. The incidence of numbness in the DCRF group was higher than that noted in the CRF group at each time point following the operation. The ovalbumin experiments in vitro indicated that the effects of radiofrequency thermocoagulation were optimal when the distance between the two needles was 5 mm.Conclusion: Bipolar spinal root ganglion radiofrequency thermocoagulation exhibits a longer duration and higher effective rate in the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia and it’s a treatment method worth promoting.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Kumiko Ishikawa ◽  
Satoshi Oga ◽  
Kyo Goto ◽  
Junya Sakamoto ◽  
Ryo Sasaki ◽  
...  

Voluntary exercise is sufficient to protect against neuropathic pain. However, it is unclear whether voluntary exercise reduces immobilization-induced hyperalgesia. We examined the effect of voluntary forelimb exercise on immobilized-induced hyperalgesia in hind paws of rats. Wistar rats were randomly divided into the (1) both hind limbs immobilized group (IM group), (2) immobilization and exercise with nonimmobilized fore limbs group (EX group), and (3) control group. In the IM and EX groups, the bilateral ankle joints of each rat were immobilized in full plantar flexion with a plaster cast for eight weeks. In the EX group, voluntary exercise using nonimmobilized forelimbs in the running wheel was administered during the immobilization period, while hind limbs were kept immobilized (60 min/day, 5 days/week). Mechanical hyperalgesia in the hind paw was measured using a digital von Frey device every week. To investigate the abnormality of primary sensory neurons and central sensitization, the number of calcitonin gene-related peptide-positive cells in the dorsal root ganglion and the expression level of calcitonin gene-related peptide in the spinal dorsal horn were analyzed by immunohistochemical staining. Immobilization-induced mechanical hyperalgesia was inhibited in the EX group compared to the IM group at three weeks after immobilization. In the EX group, the number of calcitonin gene-related peptide-positive cells in the dorsal root ganglion and the expression level of calcitonin gene-related peptide were significantly decreased compared to those in the IM group. Our results therefore suggest that voluntary forelimb exercise during hind limb immobilization partially reduces immobilization-induced hyperalgesia by suppressing that the plastic changes of the primary sensory nerves that excessively transmit pain and increased responsiveness of nociceptive neurons in the spinal dorsal horn.


2020 ◽  
pp. 179-182
Author(s):  
Chong Kim

Background: Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is the most common long-term complication of shingles and is a significant burden to the patients due to pain and disability. Currently, treatment options are limited. In refractory cases, neuromodulation using spinal cord stimulation (SCS) and peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) have been used but is considered experimental due to limited evidence. Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) stimulation has been most studied in complex regional pain syndrome and uses electrical leads that are inserted into the epidural space and placed into the intervertebral foramen to target the DRG. Due to the advantages on targeting the DRG, DRG stimulation has been used and can be considered to treat other refractory, intractable pain conditions. Case Report: We report 2 cases who experienced successful treatment of refractory PHN. Patients underwent dorsal root ganglion stimulation at the thoracic level for the treatment of refractory PHN. Both patients showed significant improvement in pain at 24 and 36 months after a DRG stimulation trial and implantation. Conclusion: We report the successful use of DRG stimulation for the treatment of PHN. Key words: Dorsal root ganglion stimulation, neuralgia, neuromodulation, postherpetic neuralgia, spinal cord stimulation


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