Spinal Cord Stimulation

Spinal cord stimulation has been used to try to treat intractable pain. The procedure is both expensive and invasive.

Discussion

Meier et al. (2015) evaluated the effectiveness of activated SCS and deactivated SCS. The study found activated SCS resulted in smaller areas of brush allodynia compared to deactivated. No difference was seen in wind-up like pain. Cioni et al. (1995) reported inserting epidural electrodes over the posterior columns of the spinal cord to allow for spinal cord stimulation. During spinal cord stimulation, 22 patients reported paraesthesia overlapping the painful area. Nine patients reported 50% pain relief and three patients experienced no pain relief.

Conclusion

There is level 1b evidence (Meier et al. 2015) that spinal cord stimulation map improve allodynia related pain post SCI.

There is level 4 evidence (from one case series study: Ciono et al. 1995) that spinal cord stimulation improves post-SCI pain.