Spinal Cord Stimulation in Visceral Pathologies: Table 1

Abstract

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has widely been applied for the treatment of neuropathic pain with excellent outcomes. However, there seems to be a general lack of consensus on the modalities and treatment approaches for the visceral component of nociceptive pain syndromes. There have recently been some interesting developments in the domain of visceral pain treatment by utilizing SCS. We have published case studies to exemplify the viscerotomal distribution of abdominal visceral pain pathways and the application of traditional SCS techniques for its treatment in another recent article. Spinal stimulation was successfully applied in patients experiencing abdominal visceral pain due to various conditions, including chronic nonalcoholic pancreatitis, post-traumatic splenectomy, and generalized abdominal pain secondary to laparotomies performed to relieve gastrointestinal adhesions. There was a significant reduction in the visual analog scale scores along with a substantial decrease in narcotic use. This article is meant to provide the anatomical basis and rationale for the clinical application of SCS in various abdominal visceral pain syndromes. SCS holds great promise as a highly effective, nondestructive, and reversible treatment modality for abdominal visceral pain disorders.