According to a novel study issued in BMC Anesthesiology, the use of impar ganglion block provides effective analgesia without issues in patients suffering from coccydynia (persistent tailbone pain). Also, pulse radiofrequency thermocoagulation, when used along with a diagnostic block, lengthens its analgesic effect.

Ozlem Sagir et al. examined the pain scores a year following the impar ganglion block in patients with coccydynia who had unsuccessful outcomes from conservative treatment.

The data from 29 patients (10 males, 19 females with an average age 53.45 ± 9.6 and body mass index 29.55 ± 4.21) suffering from coccydynia who were given impar ganglion blocks coccydynia was retrospectively reviewed. The use of radiofrequency thermocoagulation (RFT) was also recorded carefully. The demographic data of the patients, time of pain initiation and reasons for the pain, X-ray outcomes and previously used invasive procedures, and visual analog scale (VAS) scores were all noted.

As per the results, the onset of pain linked with trauma was observed in 21 patients and anterior coccygeal angulation was observed in 19 patients. Following the procedure, the VAS scores at less than 3 months, 3 to 6 months and at 6 months to 1-year follow-up intervals were notably lesser as compared to before using the block. Additionally, VAS scores at the 3 to 6 months and 6 months to 1-year duration were notably lower in patients who received diagnostic blocks along with pulse RFT as compared to patients who received only the diagnostic block.