A “True Breakthrough”

At the recent International Neuromodulation Society (INS) congress in Barcelona, researchers promoted a new way to administer stimulation to the spinal cord. The usual method involves SCS “to stimulate the back of the spinal cord and activate a circuit that then interacts with the transmitting pain pathway to ultimately block or mitigate pain signals to the brain.” The new method involves “the novel ‘Subwave’ waveform for preferential dorsal horn dendrite stimulation, detailing a stimulation frequency of 100Hz, a pulse width of 1,000 microseconds with the epidural leads in the typical midline position, and a bipole at T9/10 level.”
 

In a trial of 27 patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain (CNLBP), Subwave treatment decreased Visual Analogue Scale scores (the primary outcome) from 72.48 at baseline to

• 27.37 at 6 weeks
• 31.04 at 10 weeks
• 32.37 at 14 weeks
• 21.47 at 26 weeks

Presenter Mark Russo stated, “This much pain relief transforms their lives back to some form of normality.”

 

Read the press release.

Other Categories:

• chronic pain

• failed back surgery syndrome

• low back pain

• neuromodulation

• pain management

• research/study

• spinal/spine

• Surgery

• technology/robotics