BACKGROUND: Cervical dystonia can be a difficult source of neck pain to treat, with pain from both nociceptive and nonnociceptive sources. Botulinum toxin as the mainstay of treatment carries approximately 10% failure rate in these patients, leaving them with debilitating pain. Peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) is a proven pain management technique, and until now, PNS has not been reported as a treatment for refractory cervical dystonia.

CASE REPORT: We present a case where temporary PNS is successfully used to treat refractory cervical dystonia by targeting the cervical medial branch nerves.

CONCLUSIONS: We believe temporary PNS has good utility as treatment for refractory cervical dystonia. Using PNS can provide immediate and long-lasting relief of their dystonia symptoms and can mitigate the need for a permanent implant.

KEYWORDS: Temporary peripheral nerve stimulation, case report, cervical dystonia, cervical medial branch nerve stimulator, failed botulinum toxin therapy, fluoroscopy, refractory cervical dystonia