Spinal cord stimulation is safe and effective for chronic back pain says new review

Published October 7, 2016

Spinal cord stimulation technology is becoming more widely available as a treatment for chronic pain – and quite rightly, concluded a group of experts who reviewed the evidence. Publishing their findings in the Journal of Pain Research, the panel found:

Good evidence exists for the safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of traditional spinal cord stimulation therapies in the treatment of chronic refractory low back with limb pain (regardless of surgical history);
Over half of people with chronic painful conditions experience sustained and significant levels of pain reduction after spinal cord stimulation treatment;
There is not as much evidence (yet) for burst stimulation (a type of spinal cord stimulation) but it seems to be more effective than traditional therapies;
Variables that can affect how well spinal cord stimulation works include psychiatric illness, smoking status and comorbidities (ie if the person has another condition too).

“Overall, scientific literature demonstrates spinal cord stimulation to be a safe, effective, and drug-free treatment option for many chronic pain etiologies,” the authors conclude.

Click here to read the original research.

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