Axone (Dartmouth, N.S.)
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Axone (Dartmouth, N.S.) · Jun 1997
The treatment of chronic pain by epidural spinal cord stimulation--a 15 year follow up; present status.
Pain is necessary for survival but chronic pain is disabling and causes significant health and economic problems. This study provides an understanding of the future for spinal cord stimulation. Stimulation by means of chronically implanted electrodes, was carried out in 200 patients with pain of varied benign organic etiology. ⋯ Pain due to cauda equina injury, paraplegic pain and phantom limb pain responded poorly. Complications included wound infection, displaced or fracture electrode, and fibrosis at the stimulating tip. Spinal cord stimulation has proven to be effective in the treatment of chronic benign pain.