Abstract
Chronic pain is a complex condition that often poses diagnostic and management challenges due to its multifactorial etiology. This case report describes a 49-year-old pastor who presented with a three-year history of chronic pain affecting multiple sites, including the neck, bilateral shoulders, thoracic region, lower back, and bilateral knees. Additionally, he experienced shortness of breath on mild exertion, which adversely affected his ability to converse and speak publicly. The patient had a rapid resting heart rate of 100-120 beats per minute, occasional palpitations, and a 24-hour electrocardiogram that confirmed 15% premature ventricular complexes with bigeminy and trigeminy. He complained of limited appetite with early satiety, intermittent nausea, and regurgitation. Despite consultations with multiple specialists, no underlying causes were identified in the cardiac, respiratory, gastrointestinal, or psychological domains. Ultrasound-guided bilateral vagus nerve hydrodissection using 5% dextrose without local anesthetics was administered three times at monthly intervals, resulting in remarkable pain relief within three months and the effects persisted at the nine-month follow-up. Tachycardia was no longer perceived, resting heart rate slowed to 70-80 beats per minute, shortness of breath improved, and public speaking ability was restored. The patient's early satiety, nausea, and reflux complaints were resolved. This case report highlights the potential effectiveness of this novel intervention for chronic pain. Further research is warranted to validate these findings and explore the mechanism of action.