What is it about?
Our study recruited people with diabetes who have developed painful neuropathy that does not respond to currently available medications. We tested a new treatment option that involves implanting a device that works like a pacemaker for pain by delivering mild electrical impulses to the spinal cord. This technology is called high-frequency 10 kilohertz spinal cord stimulation (10 kHz SCS) and was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for pain due to diabetic neuropathy. Our results demonstrate effective pain relief sustained over a 12 month follow-up period.
Featured Image
Photo by Imani Bahati on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Pain from diabetic neuropathy is a very common condition and, unfortunately, many people experience inadequate relief with the best treatments currently available. The results from our study establish 10 kHz SCS as a safe and extremely effective approach for people suffering with diabetic neuropathy. Not only did our study participants enjoy substantial, long-lasting pain relief, but many of them also experienced improved sensation in their feet.
Perspectives
People suffering with burning, neuropathic foot pain due to diabetes are in great need of new, more effective treatment options. Patients treated with 10 kHz SCS are able to get back to enjoying their lives with less pain, better sleep, and increased ability to feel their feet.
Erika Petersen
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Durability of High-Frequency 10-kHz Spinal Cord Stimulation for Patients With Painful Diabetic Neuropathy Refractory to Conventional Treatments: 12-Month Results From a Randomized Controlled Trial, Diabetes Care, November 2021, American Diabetes Association,
DOI: 10.2337/dc21-1813.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
