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Pain Syndromes Secondary to Cluneal Nerve Entrapment

  • Neuropathic Pain (A Abd-Elsayaed, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Pain and Headache Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the cluneal nerves, present a summary of pain syndromes secondary to clunealgia, and evaluate current literature for diagnostic and treatment modalities.

Recent Findings

Multiple trials and studies have reported success with numerous modalities ranging from nerve blocks, neuroablation, and even peripheral neuromodulation with varying degrees of clinical benefit.

Summary

Cluneal nerve entrapment or chronic impingement can cause buttock pain or referred pain to nearby areas including the lower back, pelvic area, or even the lower extremities. Clunealgias and associated pain syndromes can often be challenging to diagnose and differentiate. An appreciation of the pathophysiology of clunealgias can assist with patient selection for interventional pain strategies targeted towards the cluneal nerves, including nerve blocks, neuroablation, and peripheral neuromodulation. More research is needed to better delineate the efficacy of these procedures for clunealgias.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA

    Jay Karri

  2. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York City, NY, USA

    Mani Singh

  3. Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Division of Pain, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Vwaire Orhurhu

  4. Department of Anesthesiology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA

    Mihir Joshi

  5. Department of Anesthesia, Division of Pain Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA

    Alaa Abd-Elsayed

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  1. Jay Karri
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  2. Mani Singh
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  3. Vwaire Orhurhu
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  4. Mihir Joshi
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  5. Alaa Abd-Elsayed
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jay Karri.

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Conflict of Interest

Jay Karri, Mani Singh, Vwaire Orhurhu, Mihir Joshi, and Alaa Abd-Elsayed declare no conflict of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Neuropathic Pain

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Karri, J., Singh, M., Orhurhu, V. et al. Pain Syndromes Secondary to Cluneal Nerve Entrapment. Curr Pain Headache Rep 24, 61 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-020-00891-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-020-00891-7

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