Spinal cord stimulation (SCS), based on the gate theory of nociception, has been shown to be effective in the management of chronic pain conditions. While early-generation technology offered many patients improvement in their pain and symptoms, limitations including paresthesia, dependence on mapping, decreased chronological efficacy, and inadequate coverage left many patients with persistent pain and overt therapeutic failure. ⋯ New advances in neuromodulation technology circumvent many of these previous limitations and offer patients improved pain relief and quality of life. In this review, an update on recent technological developments in the field of SCS and peripheral neuromodulation is presented with discussion on differentiating characteristics which may help guide applicability to individual patient needs.
Omar Viswanath, Ivan Urits, Emily Bouley, Jacquelin M Peck, William Thompson, and Alan David Kaye.
Valley Anesthesiology and Pain Consultants, Envision Physician Services, 645 E. Missouri Avenue, Suite 300, Phoenix, AZ, 85012, USA. viswanoy@gmail.com.
Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2019 May 1; 23 (6): 39.
Purpose Of ReviewSpinal cord stimulation (SCS), based on the gate theory of nociception, has been shown to be effective in the management of chronic pain conditions. While early-generation technology offered many patients improvement in their pain and symptoms, limitations including paresthesia, dependence on mapping, decreased chronological efficacy, and inadequate coverage left many patients with persistent pain and overt therapeutic failure.Recent FindingsNew advances in neuromodulation technology circumvent many of these previous limitations and offer patients improved pain relief and quality of life. In this review, an update on recent technological developments in the field of SCS and peripheral neuromodulation is presented with discussion on differentiating characteristics which may help guide applicability to individual patient needs.