Application of the Suprascapular Nerve Block in the Treatment of Shoulder Pain

Abstract

Shoulder pain is a common cause of patients’ visits to the pain management clinic. Pain in the musculoskeletal system limits the patients’ ability to undergo physical rehabilitation which stabilizes the shoulder girdle, increases the range of motion, and contributes to the reduction of pain. The glenohumeral joint is one of the most mobile joints in the body. It is susceptible to instability. The suprascapular nerve innervates approximately 70% of the shoulder joint. It is a mixed, both sensory and motor, nerve which arises from the upper trunk of the brachial plexus which is formed by the ventral roots of the fifth and sixth cervical spinal nerves. The suprascapular nerve block is performed in treating acute and chronic shoulder pain of different etiology. An observational retrospective study of three patients was carried out. They were monitored for three months to evaluate the efficiency and safety of performing the ultrasound-guided suprascapular nerve block using levobupivacaine along with methylprednisolone acetate adjuvant on patients with shoulder pain. The study has shown that the ultrasound-guided suprascapular nerve block is effective and safe in treating shoulder pain and that it contributes to maintaining the functionality of the musculoskeletal system.

DOI: 10.5671/ca.48.4.8