Health & body · 2026
Can targeted relieve shoulder pain when systemic pain medicines have not helped?
In one 24-year-old man whose shoulder pain had not responded to systemic analgesia, targeted ultrasound-guided nerve blocks were followed by a drop in pain to 0–1/10 within one hour. Relief lasted 24 hours without supplemental opioids.
Details
This single-patient case report aimed to demonstrate the potential role of low-volume, ultrasound-guided targeted nerve blocks for shoulder pain that does not respond to treatment during vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs).
A 24-year-old man with sickle cell disease had pain in both shoulders that was refractory to systemic analgesia. He underwent ultrasound-guided suprascapular nerve (SSN) blocks on both sides, plus an additional axillary nerve block on the right. The local anesthetic was 0.2% ropivacaine: 10 mL for each SSN block and 5 mL for the right axillary nerve block. The procedure was performed under standard monitoring.
Pain measured using the numerical rating scale (NRS) fell from 9/10 on the right and 7/10 on the left to 2/10 overall 20 minutes after the blocks, and to 0–1/10 at one hour. Pain relief was maintained for 24 hours without supplemental opioids.
The authors suggest that targeted, low-volume suprascapular plus axillary nerve blocks may provide safe, rapid, opioid-sparing pain relief in selected patients with VOC involving the shoulder. This conclusion comes from a single case.
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