Editor-in-Chief: Alaa Abd-Elsayed, MD, PhD
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BACKGROUND: Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has consistently been shown to improve quality of life and reduce pain in patients with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Nevertheless, the extent of its potential benefits has yet to be completely elucidated.
CASE REPORT: This case follows a patient who developed CRPS in her right wrist following a fall from her wheelchair. She experienced severe disruption to her quality of life. Multiple conservative treatment modalities failed to alleviate her symptoms. After successfully completing an SCS trial and receiving an implant, the patient’s symptoms and quality of life improved significantly. Additionally, her blood glucose and oxygen saturation readings improved in the affected extremity after undergoing SCS.
CONCLUSION: Normalization of blood glucose and oxygen saturation levels is not a deeply studied effect from SCS treatment. More research is encouraged to understand the mechanisms under which these results arise and how they can benefit patients’ outcomes.
KEY WORDS: Spinal cord stimulator, complex regional pain syndrome, causalgia, wrist pain, case report
