Radiofrequency spinal cord stimulation shows improved longer-lasting pain relief: Study

Apr 30, 2022

New Delhi, Apr 30 (ANI): According to a new study, chronic pain spinal cord stimulation (SCS) uses an implanted device to supply a small amount of electricity directly to the spinal cord, altering or blocking nerve activity and minimizing the sensation of pain reaching the brain. The findings of the research were published in the journal 'Bioelectronic Medicine', a research team led by scientists at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. Scientists reported high-frequency SCS proved more effective at improving perceived pain reduction (PPR) than low-frequency SCS in patients studied, and there was some variation in PPR between male and female patients. Low-frequency SCS (50 Hz) was originally approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a treatment for intractable back and leg pain in 1989. In 2015, the FDA approved high-frequency SCS (10,000 Hz), which delivers electrical stimulation pulses that are shorter in duration, lower in amplitude and do not induce paresthesia, the abnormal sensation of tingling or prickling.