Fig 2. The LUMC protocol applied exclusively to patients with persistent postsurgical or nerve injury–induced probable neuropathic pain related to sensory nerves.

All patients had positive sensory signs confined to the innervation territory of the damaged nervous structure and had insufficient pain reduction or severe side effects from pharmacotherapy. The involved nerve is blocked three times in 4 weeks (with a 2-week interval between injections) and consists of two single-blind injections with lidocaine and one with placebo. All patients are given the opportunity of surgery irrespective of the outcome of the block injections.