Journal article
Intramuscular Botulinum Toxin in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: Case Series and Literature Review
Pain physician, v 14(5), pp 419-424
01 Sep 2011
PMID: 21927045
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Background: Pain associated with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is frequently excruciating and intractable. The use of botulinum toxin for relief of CRPS-associated pain has not been well described.
Objectives: To assess whether intramuscular botulinum toxin injections cause relief of pain caused by CRPS, and to assess the risks of this treatment.
Study Design: Retrospective chart review.
Setting: Outpatient clinic.
Methods: Thirty-seven patients with spasm/dystonia in the neck and/or upper limb girdle muscles.
Intervention: EMG-guided injection of Botulinum toxin - A (BtxA), 10-20 units per muscle. Total dose used was 100 units in each patient. Local pain score was measured on an 11-point Likert scale, 4 weeks after BtxA injections.
Results: Mean pain score decreased by 43% (8.2 +/- 0.8 to 4.5 +/- 1.1, P < 0.001). 97% of patients had significant pain relief. One patient had transient neck drop after the injections.
Limitations: This is a retrospective study. It lacks a control group and so the placebo effect cannot be eliminated. This study does not provide information on the efficacy of this treatment after 4 weeks.
Conclusions: Intramuscular injection of botulinum toxin in the upper limb girdle muscles was beneficial for short term relief of pain caused by CRPS. The incidence of complications was low (2.7%)
Institutional Review: This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Drexel College of Medicine.
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Details
- Title
- Intramuscular Botulinum Toxin in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: Case Series and Literature Review
- Creators
- Siddharth Kharkar - Med Coll Penn & Hahnemann Univ, Philadelphia, PA 19102 USAPrakash Ambady - Med Coll Penn & Hahnemann Univ, Philadelphia, PA 19102 USAYedatore Venkatesh - Med Coll Penn & Hahnemann Univ, Philadelphia, PA 19102 USARobert J. Schwartzman - Drexel University
- Publication Details
- Pain physician, v 14(5), pp 419-424
- Publisher
- Am Soc Interventional Pain Physicians
- Number of pages
- 6
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Neurology
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000299784100009
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-80052868988
- Other Identifier
- 991019168010404721
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InCites Highlights
Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:
- Web of Science research areas
- Anesthesiology
- Clinical Neurology