title: Single-lead percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation for the treatment of shoulder pain from subacromial impingement syndrome.
abstract: This case report demonstrates the feasibility of a single-lead peripheral nerve stimulation system for the treatment of pain secondary to chronic subacromial impingement syndrome. The participant was a 57-year-old man who experienced persistent pain from subacromial impingement syndrome for 20 months despite having undergone conservative therapy of steroid injection and physical therapy. After study enrollment, a single intramuscular lead was placed percutaneously into the deltoid muscle of the affected shoulder. He was treated 6 hours per day for 3 weeks and the lead was removed. The primary outcome measure was the Brief Pain Inventory (Short-form) Question 3 (BPI 3), which queries the worst pain in the last week on a 0-10 numerical rating scale. At baseline, BPI 3 was an 8. At the end of treatment and at 4 and 12 weeks after treatment, BPI 3 scores were 2, 0, and 0, respectively. Substantial improvements in shoulder impairment, quality of life, and shoulder disability measures were also observed. Additional studies are needed to further demonstrate safety and efficacy, determine optimal dose, define optimal prescriptive parameters, expand clinical indications, and demonstrate long-term effect.
authors.affiliation: Cleveland Functional Electrical Stimulation Center, and Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Case Western Reserve University at MetroHealth Medical Center, 2500 MetroHealth Dr, Cleveland, OH 44109, USA. rwilson@metrohealth.org
authors.forename: Richard D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Maria E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chae
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011788:Quality of Life; D019534:Shoulder Impingement Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D020069:Shoulder Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D004561:Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation