Source: Diabetes  |  Posted 5 years ago

By Jerry Ingram

NEW ORLEANS, LA -- February 12, 2007 -- Spinal Cord Stimulation might assist patients who suffer with axial low back pain, researchers reported here at the American Academy of Pain Management's 23[^]rd[] Annual Meeting (AAPM).

"The study demonstrates a very high success rate for subjects undergoing spinal cord stimulation trials. So this is a 5- to 10-day trial period to determine if they are good candidates for permanent implant," said study author Todd Gross, PhD, director of biostatistics and clinical data management, Boston Scientific, Plymouth, Minnesota.

Dr. Gross and his team presented the findings here on February 9[^]th[].

Since few data exist to verify the efficacy of spinal cord stimulation for axial low back pain, the team conducted a prospective multicenter clinical trial to evaluate the spinal cord stimulation system (SCS). They enrolled 259 patients from 24 sites.

Patients' pain scores, quality of life, and disability levels 3, 6, and 12 months after initiation of the SCS system were compared with baseline measures.

The researchers showed that among the 226 treatment attempts that were completed in the study, 76% were successful and of those, 92% of the subjects went on to receive permanent implants. "So this is a very high success rate," Dr. Gross said.

According to the researchers, these data represent the largest prospective experience reported to date for SCS in axial low back pain.

"Careful patient selection and stimulation programming can improve capture of the axial low back with SCS," the study authors concluded. "Technological capabilities of the SCS system, particularly fractionalized current across contacts, uniquely provide the type of stimulation needed to relieve axial back pain."

[Presentation title: A Multi-Center Study Evaluating the Efficacy of Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) for Axial Low Back Pain. Poster 114]