Three Cases of Intractable Chronic Hand Pain Successfully Treated With Pulsed Radiofrequency Guided by Ultrasound and Sensory Nerve Stimulation Test

Background: Pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) is widely used as a safe and effective method against chronic pain. However, the detailed description showing a reliable effect on intractable chronic peripheral neuralgia is not clear. Case Report: We experienced 3 cases of chronic intractable peripheral neuralgia, in which long-term pain relief of 2 months was obtained. This relief was achieved by performing PRF at a position (target point) where the sensory nerve stimulation from the needle tip coincided with the painful area. Conclusions: This report suggests that a nerve block at the target point may be important in PRF for peripheral nerves. From our experience, there was a dermatome-like distribution map of the skin in the peripheral nerves, and it was presumed that PRF was effective at the target point. Key words: Pulsed radiofrequency, peripheral nerve, chronic pain, sensory test, target point, dermatome