Recent Advances in Spinal Cord Stimulation for Pain Treatment

Abstract

Traditional (40–50 Hz) spinal column stimulation is an efficacious and widely accepted treatment for chronic neuropathic pain conditions. However, there are major challenges including its ineffectiveness for axial back pain, the burden of paresthesia-related discomfort and difficulties producing indisputable research. Recently, there have been the major technological innovations of high-frequency and burst stimulation. Studies have shown these to provide improved analgesia even for axial pain without the problems associated with paresthesia. Dorsal root ganglion stimulation may be useful in certain subsets of patients with dermatomal distribution of pain. Other scientific data and technological improvements such as recent research on cost–effectiveness, MRI compatibility and very recent advances in spinal column stimulation are appraised.

KEYWORDS:

• burst stimulation
• chronic pain
• dorsal root ganglion
• high frequency
• recent advances
• spinal column stimulation

Financial & competing interests disclosure

G Baranidharan is on the International Advisory Board for Nevro Corporation, St Jude Medical and Nalu Medical. He also hold unrestricted educational grant from Nevro Corporation and St Jude Medical. He has also taken part in sponsored talks organized by St Jude Medical, Nevro Corporation and Medtronic. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Notes

Data taken from [2].

Data taken from [2].

Additional information

Funding

G Baranidharan is on the International Advisory Board for Nevro Corporation, St Jude Medical and Nalu Medical. He also hold unrestricted educational grant from Nevro Corporation and St Jude Medical. He has also taken part in sponsored talks organized by St Jude Medical, Nevro Corporation and Medtronic. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.