O081 / #805 MECHANISMS OF LOW FREQUENCY SUB PERCEPTION SPINAL CORD STIMULATION: TRACK 1: MECHANISMS OF ACTION, MAPPING AND SPINAL CORD STIMULATION

Abstract

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) was developed as a treatment for chronic pain based on the gate-control theory, which posits that activation of large diameter afferent fibers leads to inhibition of dorsal horn (DH) pain projection neurons. Conventional SCS uses low stimulation frequencies (<200 Hz) at amplitudes above sensory threshold to activate dorsal column (DC) axons and inhibit pain. SCS above sensory threshold generates paresthesias that some patients find undesirable, and recent subperception modalities of SCS demonstrated equivalent or superior pain relief without evoking paresthesias.