Researchers Have Developed a Pacemaker for Chronic Back Pain

Chronic back pain can be very debilitating and for those who cannot get relief from the conventional drug treatment. However, there is a new weapon in the arsenal that could help back pain sufferers lead a more pain free and productive life. It is called Peripheral Nerve Field Stimulation (NFS).

The way it works is electrical leads are put under the skin right at the source of the pain. Then they give the area electrical stimulation supplied by an implanted power pack. The patient's back pain is then replaced by a slight tingle.

There has been a similar device that has been in use for the past 20 years called the dorsal column stimulator . The difference is the old one was actually placed right in the patient's spinal canal, just behind the spinal cord, whereas the new one is placed on the actual site of the pain. This has shown to make it more effective for lower back pain. It is also relatively free form complications.

Patients who have the NFS are, in most cases, able to stop or decrease the level of their medications almost immediately. Being able to stop or minimize the medications is very important because the medications commonly used such as Naproxen, ibuprofen and aspirin are responsible for 7,600 deaths each year as well as being responsible for 76,000 patients being hospitalized for

are responsible for 7,600 deaths each year and 76,000 gastrointestinal bleeds each year. Sufferers from chronic back pain tend to take these types of medicines constantly because they are easy to get and most people think of them as being safe.