In a recent study in Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine published by BMJ (formerly British Medical Journal) patients with non-surgical, refractory low back pain (NSRBP) are shown to have improved reduction in pain when spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is used in conjunction with conservative medical management (CMM) over CMM alone during a 3-month randomization trial period. Patients receiving spinal cord stimulation and CMM experienced clinically significant and sustained improvements in pain relief, functional ability, and health-related quality of life over 12 months.
Louisiana Pain Specialists is cited as a participating center and Dr. Neil Jolly is a contributing author to the study.
The study looked at 147 candidates who met the eligibility criteria and were randomized into a spinal cord stimulator and conservative medical management group or only a conservative medical management group. At the end of the 3-month randomized phase, patients in the spinal cord stimulator and CMM group had pain intensity scores reduced from 7.3 to 2.4, while patients with CMM alone did not experience a significant reduction in pain intensity at the 3-month mark.
Chronic lower back pain is a leading cause of disability worldwide. Those who suffer from chronic lower back pain have challenges with mobility, mental health, and work productivity. Degenerative disk disease, facet arthropathy, stenosis, among many other pathologies are contributing factors to chronic lower back pain. What this study shows is that for patients who are not candidates for conventional back surgery, spinal cord stimulation in conjunction with CMM may be an effective treatment option improving their quality of life.