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Deep, Wandering Pain After Surgery: Spine or Nerve?

17 minJune 2026

Rick's truck-driver patient has deep inguinal pain after an appendectomy that simply will not reproduce on the table....

Evidence behind this episode

  • Glissen Brown 2016

    Anterior cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome (ACNES) is the MOST COMMON cause of chronic abdominal-wall pain; Carnett's sign (focal tenderness unchanged or WORSE when the abdominal wall is tensed) localizes pain to the WALL, not the viscera.