Anterior Cutaneous Nerve Entrapment Syndrome (ACNE) is a condition where small nerve branches in the abdomen get trapped as they pass through the belly muscles. This can lead to pain that feels like a sharp or burning sensation in a specific area of the abdominal wall. The pain might get worse when you move, cough, or tense your abdominal muscles, like during a sit-up. Often, people with this condition may also feel nausea or changes in how their stomach feels.

The cause could be from injury, surgery, or even just repetitive movements that stress the area. It is more common in younger women, but it can really happen to anyone.

To figure out if someone has ACNE, doctors usually check if the pain gets worse when you tense up your belly muscles. They might also test this by injecting a small amount of numbing medicine to see if it temporarily relieves the pain.

Treatments mostly involve injections to help numb and reduce discomfort. In some cases, medicines that target nerve pain might help. If these solutions don’t work, neuomodulation using peripheral nerve stimulation or surgery might be considered to release the trapped nerve. On rare occasions, spinal cord or dorsal root ganglion stimulation may be attempted for difficult to treat situations.

Getting the right care early on can really help manage this condition and improve quality of life. If you're experiencing similar symptoms, early treatment can improve comfort and help restore function. Talk to our team to find the best treatment plan for you.