A 52-year-old man, whose life was blighted by incessant hiccups for two decades, was successfully treated by Chinese doctors. The solution came from an electrical stimulation technique targeted to a specific nerve in the neck.
A daily ordeal of twenty years. As detailed in the case report published by Frontiers in Physiology, this 52-year-old Chinese man had been living a nightmare for 20 years. Initially, her hiccup attacks lasted thirty minutes and occurred three times a week.
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However, his condition seriously deteriorated from August 2024, with the hiccups becoming daily and persistent, no longer even stopping during his sleep. This pathology was accompanied by severe acid reflux and vomiting, considerably degrading his quality of life.
Pulsed radiofrequency: an electrical solution
After conventional treatments failed, doctors at Sichuan University Hospital targeted the phrenic nerve. This essential nerve provides the connection between the brain and the diaphragm, controlling the contractions of this respiratory muscle.
The procedure consisted of applying pulsed radiofrequency (RFP), a specific electrical current, directly to this nerve in the neck. The goal was to “reset” the erratic nerve signal that was causing the diaphragm to spasm incessantly.
Total and lasting healing
The results were spectacular. From the first weeks following the intervention, the frequency and intensity of the attacks decreased. Three months after the operation, “the hiccups had completely disappeared”, putting an end to twenty years of ordeal.
Although the exact causes of chronic hiccups often remain mysterious (related to gastric, pulmonary or nervous disorders), this clinical case demonstrates the effectiveness of modern neurological therapies. Specialists point out that hiccups persisting beyond 48 hours require medical consultation, as they may be a symptom of a more serious underlying pathology.
