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Papers of the Week


Papers: 2 Nov 2019 - 8 Nov 2019


2020 Mar


Pain Pract


20


3

Current Evidence Lacking to Guide Clinical Practice for Spinal Cord Stimulation in the Treatment of Neuropathic Pain in Spinal Cord Injury: A Review of the Literature and a Proposal for Future Study.

Abstract

Chronic pain is commonly reported in individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI), with recent prevalence reported as high as 80%. Uncontrolled pain is known to decrease quality of life, mood and impact sleep. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) for the treatment of refractory pain was first used in the SCI population in 1972. To date there have been no RCTs examining the effect of SCS for neuropathic pain post-SCI. A literature review in 2009 identified 27 studies, the majority prior to 2000, which included at least one SCI patient. Given the significant advancements in the field of SCS, this review examines the updated evidence of SCS for the treatment of neuropathic pain in individuals with SCI and provides guidance on future investigations.