Subcutaneous Peripheral Nerve Stimulation Treatment for Chronic Pelvic Pain

Two cases of chronic pelvic pain of unknown etiology with symptoms referable to the low abdominal wall are presented. These patients are often difficult to manage because of multiple causes and multiple pathways for pain transmission from the pelvis. In these cases, the patients' complaints were refractory to medication management, as well as diagnostic and therapeutic nerve blockade. After careful evaluation, a successful trial of peripheral nerve stimulation was followed by permanent implantation of low abdominal subcutaneous leads and a pulse generator device. The patients reported excellent relief of their chronic pelvic pain. The use of neuromodulation via peripheral stimulation deserves further investigation as an alternative to spinal cord stimulation for chronic pelvic pain.