Spinal cord stimulation doesn’t help with bac

Spinal cord stimulation, a medical technique proposed to treat chronic back pain, doesn’t provide long-term relief and can be harmful, according to a Cochrane review released today.

Spinal cord stimulation is thought to work by implanting a device that sends electrical pulses to the spinal cord and blocks nerve signals before they reach the brain.

This study reviewed published clinical data on spinal cord stimulation. This included randomized controlled trials, considered to be the definitive way to measure the effectiveness of treatments in medical research.

Researchers analyzed the results of 13 clinical trials, examining data from 699 participants, and compared spinal cord stimulation with placebo or no treatment for back pain.

Cochrane reviews use robust methodologies to combine evidence from multiple sources and reduce the effects of bias and random error that can undermine the reliability of individual studies. , trusted by policy makers.

The review concludes that spinal cord stimulation is not superior to placebo in treating low back pain and probably has little or no effect on people with low back pain or improving quality of life.

There were little or no clinical data regarding the long-term efficacy of spinal cord stimulation.

The researchers also found that adverse side effects to surgery were overall poorly documented, preventing them from concluding the level of associated risk. injury, infection, and dislocation of electrical leads, all of which may require repeat surgery.

The results of the review have been submitted to the Federal Department of Health and the Aged Care Prosthetic List Review Task Force. Task Force Considers Eligibility for Current Medicare-Subsidized Prosthetics.

Australia is also reassessing the long-term safety and performance of the device.Evaluation by Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)the national regulatory authority for therapeutics.

“Spinal cord stimulation is invasive and carries a large financial cost to those who choose surgery as a last resort for pain relief. Long-term benefits and harms are essentially unknown in our review. We found that,” said the principal investigator. Dr. Adrian Traeger Sydney Musculoskeletal Health is an initiative of the University of Sydney, Sydney Local Health District and Northern Sydney Local Health District.

“Our review of clinical data suggests that no sustained benefits of surgery outweigh the costs and risks.

“Back pain is one of them. Leading causes of disability in the worldOur findings further underscore the urgent need to revisit chronic pain care funding arrangements to support patients seeking relief. There are evidence-based physical and psychological therapies for back pain. Ensuring access to these is essential. “

The review team found multiple gaps in the clinical data.

No studies investigated the long-term (more than 12 months) effects of spinal cord stimulation on low back pain. The longest was one of his six-month trials.

The majority of clinical trials only examined the immediate effects of the device, a timeframe of less than one month.

The review team produced a list of recommendations that included conducting prospective spinal cord stimulation clinical trials for at least 12 months, clearly documenting the number of people experiencing adverse events, and comparing with other pain treatment options. provided.

Professor Chris Ma, Co-Director of Sydney Musculoskeletal Health said:

“Our review found that the clinical benefits of adding spinal cord stimulation to treat low back pain remain unclear. Combined, it’s clear that there are issues here for regulators to be concerned about.”

a Another Cochrane review, investigator-uninvolved, examined the effects of spinal cord stimulation versus placebo in people with chronic pain. Similar to this review, we concluded that evidence to suggest long-term benefits in treating chronic pain is lacking.