• Maneesh Shrivastav and Shailesh Musley.
• Medtronic Neuromodulation, 7000 Central Ave NE, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55432 USA. shaileshkumar.musley@medtronic.com
• Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2009 Jan 1;2009:2033-6.

AbstractThe therapy of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is based on producing an electrical field on the dorsal surface of the spinal cord that blocks only neuropathic pain (ie, pain from damage to the nervous system). Most SCS devices deliver a biphasic pulse consisting of a pair of equal amplitude pulses with opposite polarity. SCS therapy is based on the gate control theory of pain and has been used for the treatment of diverse conditions of neuropathic pain, including complex regional pain syndromes (CRPS). In addition to CRPS, SCS is helpful in patients with failed back surgery syndrome, degenerative disk disease, and in patients with peripheral neuropathies. When used in the right patient, SCS provides significant pain relief in a majority of patients with CRPS. This review focuses on the effects of SCS on CRPS. In addition, an overview of the state of the art technologies used for implantable SCS medical devices is also provided.

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