Platelet-rich plasma in treating peripheral neuropathic pain. Preliminary report

• Published in: Revista de la Sociedad Española del Dolor Vol. 25; no. 5; pp. 263 - 270
• Main Authors: Correa López, José, Cortés, Henry, García Ceballos, Edwin, Quintero Pizarro, Leonardo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: Inspira Network Group, S.L 2018
• Subjects: Anesthesiology; dolor neuropático; Medicine, General & Internal; neurogenic pain; neuropathic; Neuropathy; pain treatment; plasma rico en plaquetas; platelet; rich plasma; tratamiento del dolor neuropático; neurogenic pain; dolor neuropático; plasma rico en plaquetas; neuropathic-pain treatment; Neuropathy; tratamiento del dolor neuropático; platelet-rich plasma
• ISSN: 1134-8046
• DOI: 10.20986/resed.2017.3625/2017

ABSTRACT Background: Neuropathic pain (NP) is a chronic form of progressively incapacitating pain with a high impact on patients' quality of life. Often underdiagnosed and undertreated, NP has currently no effective treatment schemes, despite the many drugs and many techniques that have been proposed. This paper examines the effects of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on relieving such form of pain applying it to the site where NP originates. Method: 45 patients with shooting, burning, electric, or lancinating pain and allodynia, with refractory multimodal-approach to pharmacologic management for more than 3 months were included in the study. All patients had a diagnosis of peripheral neuropathic pain. Patients received a sonographic-guided injection of PRP at the affected dermatome site. Results: At the end of three-month follow-up, the pain score was reduced up to 70 % in 39 out of the 45 patients, permitting the lowering of pain medication and improving their quality of life. Conclusion: These positive and promising results with PRP in treating peripheral neuropathic pain in the present study encourage us for further clinical investigations of this novel proposal.