More than five decades of clinical experience with electrostimulation of the dorsal columns (and adjacent dorsal neural structures) for intractable pain conditions have established this treatment in the armamentarium of pain practitioners, anesthesiologists, and neurosurgeons. The safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of spinal cord stimulation have, in randomized controlled trials, been proven for failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS), complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), and painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN).
Much of the challenge in the development in new pharmacotherapies results from the lack of knowledge or translation of research from animal to human species. Pharmacological treatments for neuropathic pain states are frequently ineffective, and opioid drugs, though effective in selective patients, may lead to harmful effect for both individuals and society.
Burst, Spinal Cord Stimulation, Outcomes, Clinical Introductionĭespite of the immense burden that chronic pain has on patients, payers, and caregivers, it is rarely treated adequately and may even go untreated altogether.
