ID: 211765 Multiple RCTs of SCS Show Consistent Outcomes in the Treatment of Painful Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

Abstract

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is the most common neuropathic syndrome seen in patients with diabetes. DPN symptoms include stabbing or burning pain eventually progressing to numbness in the lower extremities resulting in loss of protective sensation. Traditionally, pain associated with DPN has been treated with gabapentin/pregabalin, tri-cycling antidepressants, and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors1. These treatment approaches are often unsuccessful in the long-term, with many DPN patients abandoning initial prescription analgesics within months1. Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) has been examined in 3 randomized controlled trials (RCTs)2,3,4 comparing SCS to conventional treatments.