Ganglion Impar Block For Chronic Coccydynia

Area of Science:

• Pain Medicine
• Interventional Pain Management
• Neurology

Background:

• Coccydynia, or tailbone pain, is poorly understood but common in obese females.
• Pregnancy and childbirth may increase coccydynia risk in women.
• Ganglion impar block is an effective treatment for coccydynia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate pain relief after Ganglion Impar Block.
• To assess the impact of the procedure on patients' quality of life.

Main Methods:

• A single-arm study included 50 patients with chronic coccygeal pain unresponsive to conventional treatment.
• Fluoroscopic-guided trans-sacro-coccygeal ganglion impar block with alcohol neurolysis was performed.
• Pain scores (Numeric Rating Scale) were recorded pre- and post-intervention.

Main Results:

• The mean NRS pain score decreased significantly from 7.80 pre-intervention to 0.96 post-intervention (p<0.001).
• 30% of patients reported trauma, such as falling on the coccyx, as a cause.
• No immediate post-intervention complications were noted during the observation period.

Conclusions:

• Ganglion impar neurolysis is a highly effective treatment for chronic coccydynia.
• The procedure offers significant pain relief and potential quality of life improvements.