Shoulder pain treated with Acupuncture, followed by radiofrequency to the suprascapular nerve

Case report of shoulder pain treated with Acupuncture, followed by radiofrequency to the suprascapular nerve

History

A 53 year old ex-restaurateur was reviewed in the Pain Clinic with right shoulder pain, which was worse at night. He was taking Paracetamol and Diclofenac with Omeprazole as required. The pain had gradually released over the last few years and was mainly located in the right deltoid insertions and mid biceps. He had a full range of movement in his shoulder but the pain seemed to be maximal when the arm was abducted to 80 degrees.

Further treatment with radiofrequency to suprascapular nerve

He was very keen to get some kind of interventional treatment to improve this. He was given a course of 6 suprascapular blocks at weekly intervals and gained several months of pain relief. However, unfortunately the pain started to come back. He has therefore been scheduled for radiofrequency ablation of the suprascapular nerve.