A novel approach to vagus nerve stimulation in fibromyalgia

Abstract

This manuscript aims to report the successful treatment of a patient with fibromyalgia using a novel approach to vagus nerve (VN) stimulation. The patient reported significant pain relief and improved performance after almost 3 months of follow-up. VN stimulation has been Food and Drug Administration approved for epilepsy and depression, but recent studies have shown its usefulness for pain management. Our novel approach is minimally-invasive compared to surgical techniques; it provides long-lasting analgesia within a single session and is cheaper than current methods. This technique should be evaluated in clinical trials to clarify the optimal parameters and treatment intervals.

Keywords

• analgesia
• pain management
• vagus nerve