Noninvasive Brain Stimulation and Pain Neuroscience Education for Fibromyalgia and Trigeminal Neuralgia: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND

Fibromyalgia (FM) and trigeminal neuralgia (TN) are commonly mistreated pain diagnoses that often present significant cognitive-affective impairments. .

CASE REPORT: A 22-year-old woman with diagnoses of FM and TN underwent 5 sessions of 2 mA transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for 20 minutes followed by ~20 minutes of pain neuroscience education (PNE). Following 5 sessions, the patient reported resolution of TN-related symptoms and improvement of generalized pain, fatigue, and sensitivity. The patient demonstrated a 60% reduction in self-reported pain, 65% in pain catastrophizing, 24% in kinesiophobia, 28% in central sensitization, and 33% improvement in attentional interference.

CONCLUSION

The case study demonstrates positive effect of tDCS and PNE in the management of FM and TN. Interventions primarily targeted the cognitive-affective domains of pain, improving both cognitive-affective and sensory outcomes. tDCS + PNE may provide a novel combination of intervention for 2 historically ill-treated conditions.