PreprintArticleVersion 1This version is not peer-reviewed
Unlocking the Potential of the Superficial Cervical Plexus Block in Chronic Pain Management: A Narrative Review and Single-Center, Retrospective Case Series
Version 1
: Received: 9 September 2024 / Approved: 10 September 2024 / Online: 10 September 2024 (10:53:09 CEST)
How to cite:
Zako, J.; Perez, J. Unlocking the Potential of the Superficial Cervical Plexus Block in Chronic Pain Management: A Narrative Review and Single-Center, Retrospective Case Series. Preprints2024, 2024090788. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202409.0788.v1
Zako, J.; Perez, J. Unlocking the Potential of the Superficial Cervical Plexus Block in Chronic Pain Management: A Narrative Review and Single-Center, Retrospective Case Series. Preprints 2024, 2024090788. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202409.0788.v1
Zako, J.; Perez, J. Unlocking the Potential of the Superficial Cervical Plexus Block in Chronic Pain Management: A Narrative Review and Single-Center, Retrospective Case Series. Preprints2024, 2024090788. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202409.0788.v1
APA Style
Zako, J., & Perez, J. (2024). Unlocking the Potential of the Superficial Cervical Plexus Block in Chronic Pain Management: A Narrative Review and Single-Center, Retrospective Case Series. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202409.0788.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Zako, J. and Jordi Perez. 2024 "Unlocking the Potential of the Superficial Cervical Plexus Block in Chronic Pain Management: A Narrative Review and Single-Center, Retrospective Case Series" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202409.0788.v1
Abstract
Background/Objectives: The anesthetic block of the sensory branches of the superficial cervical plexus (SCP) renders a specific area of the face, head, and anterior neck insensible and painless. Chronic pain in these areas can be difficult to diagnose and treat. In this report, we briefly review the existing evidence on the topic of the SCP block (SCPB) to set the context for our research. We then share our own clinical experience with the SCPB for managing chronic pain syndromes from both cancerous and non-cancerous etiologies. Methods: We first performed a comprehensive literature search and narrative review of clinical cases and studies that utilized the SCPB as an analgesic technique. We then conducted a retrospective case series of all patients who received a SCPB at our pain clinic since 2020. Results: Our literature review found only a few cases reported, with most of them focusing on acute painful emergencies and perioperative pain syndromes and only very few addressing chronic pain. In our pain clinic, 14 patients received one or more SCPBs for chronic pain management. In 42% of these cases, the pain was related to cancer. The most common areas of pain corresponded to the regions supplied by the transverse cervical and greater auricular nerves. The procedures were uneventful in all cases, and patients rated them as effective and worthwhile 71% of the time. Conclusions: Despite the lack of high-quality studies on SCPBs in pain management, the authors’ experience suggests that it is a valid minimally invasive alternative for managing chronic face, head and neck pain.
Medicine and Pharmacology, Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
