Spinal Cord Stimulation: An Effective Alternative to Drugs for Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is one of the leading health problems around the globe since it affects not only the patient but also leaves a significant effect on the friends and families of the patients besides exerting a substantial strain on the healthcare resources. 

A recent study has identified spinal cord stimulation as an effectual treatment method for people suffering from chronic pain conditions. Being devoid of the side effects of drugs, it has been hailed as a safe alternative to drugs for chronic pain. 

In an effort to identify better treatment plans for the management of chronic pain, a study was carried out by Australian researchers, led by Paul Verrills from the Metro Pain Group in Melbourne, Australia. The research was later published in Journal of Pain Research. The study was centered on determining the efficacy, feasibility, safety and the viability of spinal cord stimulation, also commonly known as dorsal column stimulation, as an effective method of treating chronic pain.

Routes of Spinal Cord Stimulation

During the course of the study, the researchers looked at the findings of three different studies that stipulated three distinct routes of stimulation of the spinal cord namely dorsal root ganglion spinal cord stimulation, burst wave form spinal cord stimulation and high frequency 10 (HF10) spinal cord stimulation.

The researchers stumbled upon plenty of evidence during literature review that proves the safety and efficacy of dorsal root ganglion spinal cord stimulation and high frequency 10 (HF10) spinal cord stimulation for the treatment of chronic back and limb pain. 
The researchers, therefore, concluded that back and leg pain can be safely managed using spinal cord stimulation method. One of the biggest benefits of spinal cord stimulation is that it is free of the side effects associated with other treatment strategies being practiced for chronic pain management which reduces the risk of complications. 

A number of factors affect the efficacy of this technique, including expertise of the clinician, method of patient selection, underlying cause of chronic pain, presence of co-morbid conditions, psychiatric disorders, smoking and delay in the administration of SCS. However, there is compelling evidence to establish the efficacy and safety of spinal cord stimulation for the management of chronic pain resulting from a number of painful conditions. 

Newly developed spinal cord technologies have wide-spread applicability and allow targeted and individualized treatment of the patients of chronic pain. Many previously carried out studies show that patients have experienced significant reduction in the refractory chronic pain, especially limb pain, following treatment with spinal cord stimulation technique.  This study has played a pivotal role in updating the existing literature about the role of SCS in chronic pain management. 

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Recommendations

The researchers came up with effective recommendations that can prove valuable in the treatment of chronic pain. Spinal cord stimulation was suggested as a first line treatment method instead of an end-stage strategy as the course of action to be employed for chronic pain management. This way, the deleterious side effects of the drugs like opioids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) and anti-depressants being used for chronic pain can be avoided and this debilitating condition can be managed more effectively.