ID: 220244 A Single-Center Review of 10 kHz Spinal Cord Stimulator Treatment Outcomes for Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is a prevalent worldwide condition, leading to diminished quality of life and workforce productivity (1). First-line therapies from conservative medical management to surgery have demonstrated varying degrees of efficacy, though sustained long-term pain management remains a challenge (2). Low-frequency spinal cord stimulation (LF-SCS) has been used in a subset of patients as a cost-effective and minimally invasive therapy to achieve pain control and improved quality of life (3). However, its limitations include diminished long-term relief, uncomfortable paresthesia, and incomplete pain control (4). The pivotal SENZA-RCT in 2015 demonstrated the efficacy of 10 kHz (high-frequency) spinal cord stimulation (HF-SCS) as a superior alternative to LF-SCS (5). The study, although promising, was industry-sponsored and potentially vulnerable to bias including withholding of negative data or exaggeration of beneficial effects. The goal of this single-center retrospective review was to compare outcomes of real-world/pragmatic HF-SCS pain outcomes to previously published studies without the potential bias of industry funding.