Effectiveness of new nerve blocks method on the articular branches of the suprascapular and subscapular nerves to treat shoulder pain.

ABSTRACT

To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of performing nerve blocks on the articular branches of the suprascapular and subscapular nerves for the treatment of shoulder pain caused by various pathologies.Fifty-two patients with shoulder pain were included in this study. Suprascapular and subscapular nerve blocks were performed with 2.5 mL anesthetic solution (2 mL of 0.5% bupivacaine and 0.5 mL of 2 mg/mL dexamethasone). The subjects were evaluated before the procedure and 1, 3, and 6 months afterward by means of the numeric rating scale and the shoulder pain and disability index. A post-injection pain reduction of >50% and <50% was considered a positive and negative response to the blocks, respectively.After nerve blocks, the mean numeric rating scale and shoulder pain and disability index scores were significantly reduced from pre-injection values, and this effect persisted for 6 months after injection. The positive and negative response groups consisted of 31 (60%) and 21 (40%) patients, respectively. The positive response group showed significantly better outcomes on the numeric rating scale and shoulder pain and disability index compared with the negative response group. No patients reported adverse effects either during or after the procedure.Performing nerve blocks on the articular branches of the suprascapular and subscapular nerves resulted in positive outcomes for shoulder pain patients. Regardless of shoulder pathology, this new injection method can be safely used in shoulder pain patients.