New advances in spinal cord stimulation (SCS) systems, including those that offer different waveforms and frequencies and better address different populations, have elicited excitement in the medical community. This is especially the case in the US where the opioid epidemic has led to increased scrutiny of doctors' prescription habits and alternative non-drug options for managing pain. Some US legislators and the new US FDA Commissioner, Scott Gottlieb, are also advocating for the use of devices at least as a partial solution to the nation's opioid crisis. (Also see "Gottlieb Touts Devices For Pain Control To Help Solve Opioid Crisis" - Medtech Insight, 6 April, 2017.).
This article, the first of a two-part series focusing on pain management, will delve into the promise of using SCS...