Open AccessA MULTI‐CENTER TRIAL OF PERCUTANEOUS NEUROMODULATION THERAPY FOR LOW BACK PAIN PATIENTS WITH A SUBACUTE DURATION OF LOWER EXTREMITY PAIN
Author(s) -
Arnold R. Gammaitoni,
Endo Pharmaceuticals,
Caroline Ford,
Nancy A. Álvarez
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
pain medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.893
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1526-4637
pISSN - 1526-2375
DOI - 10.1046/j.1526-4637.2002.20243.x
Subject(s) - medicine , neuromodulation , percutaneous , low back pain , physical therapy , anesthesia , surgery , alternative medicine , stimulation , pathology
Joseph Condon, MD, Southern California Orthopedic Institute; Joanne Borg‐Stein, MD, Spaulding Rehabilitation‐Wellesley; John Revord, MD, NeuroSpine Center of Wisconsin; Susan Schmitt, MD, The Everett Spine Center; Jerel Glassman, DO, St. Mary's Hospital and Spine Center; Elizabeth Bensen, MD, Agnesian Healthcare; Eric Leep, DO, Hastings Orthopedic Clinic; Jeffery Fitzthum, MD, Northwest Hospital; Richard Seroussi, MD MSc; Bradford Fowler, MSc, Vertis Neuroscience. Introduction: We performed a prospective multi‐center trial of percutaneous neuromodulation therapy (PNT) for low back pain patients (LBP) with a subacute duration of radiating pain. PNT is a more standardized method of delivering percutaneous electrical stimulation, previously validated for chronic LBP patients in randomized, controlled crossover trials [JAMA 1999; 281:818–23]. Methods: Our study involved a multi‐center study with 83 enrolled patients. Patients were recruited from clinical practice or advertisement, with inclusion criteria of: 1) buttock and/or leg pain duration of 1–6 months, and 2) pain intensity of at least 4/10 on a visual analog scale (VAS). PNT was administered once a week for at least 4 weeks, and consisted of 30‐minute sessions with the patient prone, receiving electrical stimulation through 5 percutaneous electrode pairs deployed 3 centimeters into the lumbar paraspinal tissues. Outcome measures included VAS scores for pain, sleep and activity, as well as an Oswestry Disability Questionnaire. Results: At 5‐week follow‐up, leg/buttock pain scores improved from 6.6 ± 1.7 to 4.0 ± 2.6 (p < 0.001), activity levels improved from 6.0 ± 2.2 to 3.6 ± 2.2 (p < 0.001), sleep scores improved from 4.8 ± 3.0 to 3.1 ± 2.5 (p < 0.001), and Oswestry scores improved from 43 ± 15 to 33 ± 16 (p < 0.001). 63% of patients had ≥30% improvement in leg/buttock pain scores. Conclusion: PNT appears promising for treating LBP patients with a subacute duration of radiating pain. November 16, 2001.