Neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury resistant to conventional therapies - case report.

OBJECTIVES

There are patients with neuropathic pain in whom the treatment is ineffective, despite the fact that is conducted with adherence to the current guidelines. In these patients alternative treatment methods such as hypnosis could be effective.

METHODS

The paper presents a case of a 58-year-old man with central neuropathic pain after cervical spinal cord injury. The conservative treatment with antiepileptics including gabapentoids), antidepressants (tricyclic and selective noradrenaline and serotonin inhibitor - SNRI) and opioids was not effective. In the pain management centre the celiac plexus stimulation and neuromodulation was performed, however, with no positive results. The patient was referred to the psychiatrist using hypnosis in his medical practice.

RESULTS

The psychiatrist qualified the patient to pain treatment with hypnosis. After several hypnotic sessions the pain intensity score in numeric rating scale (NRS) decreased from NRS 7 to NRS 5 points and became acceptable for the patient.

CONCLUSIONS

Hypnosis can be considered an effective method of neuropathic pain treatment in some patients.