Neuromodulation : journal of the International Neuromodulation Society
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Randomized Controlled Trial
A prospective, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to examine the effectiveness of burst spinal cord stimulation patterns for the treatment of failed back surgery syndrome.
Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) for the treatment of chronic pain is a well-established therapy. However, the requirement that paresthesia be continually felt by the patient has important downsides. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a new paresthesia-free SCS paradigm, called burst stimulation, for the treatment of failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) with a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design. ⋯ Overall, burst stimulation resulted in significantly better pain relief and improved pain quality in the short term compared with 500-Hz tonic stimulation and placebo stimulation and was preferred by the majority of patients.