A Case Series: Ultrasound-Guided Superficial Cervical Plexus Nerve Block For Musculoskeletal Neck Pain

The ultrasound-guided superficial cervical plexus nerve block (SCPNB) is a well-established technique for analgesia for surgical procedures involving the anterolateral neck and it has been increasingly used in the emergency department (ED) for several indications such as neck abscesses, clavicle fractures, and auricular laceration repair. There is, however, limited evidence for its use in patients presenting to the ED with musculoskeletal neck pain.

This is a case series of 5 patients who presented to the ED with neck pain and were diagnosed with either musculoskeletal neck pain or cervical radiculopathy. All patients had minimal relief with standard analgesics and therefore had a SCPNB performed by an emergency physician. Through chart review, pain scores before and after the block were obtained. Patients were called over the phone after their ED visit and asked about the recurrence of pain or complications after the procedure.

All 5 patients received significant pain relief from the SCPNB. The average preblock pain score was 9.3 and the average postblock pain score was 1.5. No complications were reported and no patients required further ED visits for pain management.

In this case series, the SCPNB resulted in pain relief for patients with musculoskeletal neck pain or cervical radiculopathy. There were no reported side effects or complications from the nerve blocks. Further studies are needed to compare its efficacy and safety against other analgesic methods in the ED setting.