Treatment of pain post-brachial plexus injury using high-frequency spinal cord stimulation

Abstract

This is the first report to illustrate the usefulness and safety of HFSCS for treating root avulsion in a patient with failed tonic SCS. Our data indicate that HFSCS may either block large-diameter fibers or stimulate medium-/small-diameter fibers, thus inducing analgesia without paresthesia, probably by reducing the activation of the wide-dynamic-range neurons. Moreover, HFSCS seems to modulate spinal inhibitory mechanisms and the descending corticospinal inhibitory output. Thus, HFSCS can be an effective option for treating refractory pain following root avulsion.