“Over time, these medicines stop working as effectively, or people develop side effects. The results showed that spinal cord stimulation is a solid option to pursue if medications stop helping a patient with diabetic neuropathy, Petersen said. Eight people had surgical infections related to the device, and five had to have their devices removed due to infection.
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There also were no nerve damage issues associated with the stimulator, and the surgical risks were comparable to what are found in patients without diabetes who receive spinal stimulator implants for other conditions, Petersen said. The researchers continued to follow the patients, and now report that two years out 80% still have less nerve pain and 66% report continued improvement in motor function. More than 90% opted to get the stimulator, while no one with an implant asked to be switched to medication, the study authors reported. By comparison, the control group had a 2% increase in pain and a 3% improvement in function.Īfter six months, those in the control group were given the option to receive an implant. Initially, half of the people received spinal cord stimulation for six months, while the other half received regular medical treatment (the "control" group).Īt six months, people with the implant reported a 76% decrease in their pain and a 62% improvement in their motor function and reflexes, the results showed. “The device delivers small impulses that change how the nerves within the spinal cord process the pain messages that are coming from the feet through the spinal cord up towards the brain, and helps them decrease how those pain messages are conducted.”įor their clinical trial, Petersen and her colleagues recruited 216 people with painful diabetic neuropathy symptoms for at least a year who were no longer responding to medications. “You can think of it like a pacemaker for pain,” Petersen said. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of a spinal cord stimulator device specifically to treat diabetic neuropathy in the legs and feet, Petersen said.Įlectrical leads are placed into the spinal canal, and run back to a battery pack that is placed under the skin, Petersen explained. Spinal cord stimulators have been around for decades, used to treat various forms of pain. “I have one patient who had to build a custom little tent frame for his blankets at the bottom of his bed with PVC pipes to prevent the sheets from brushing on his feet.” Even just having a sheet over their feet when they sleep at night is uncomfortable,” Petersen said. “I've had someone describe it to me as if they feel like they're walking on crushed glass when they put their feet on the floor. This causes a variety of painful sensations - burning, pins and needles tingling, and itching among them. Their diabetes does damage to small nerves, typically in their hands and feet, Petersen said.
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She is director of functional and restorative neurosurgery at UAMS (University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences) in Little Rock, Ark.Īpproximately 37 million Americans have diabetes, and about one-quarter develop painful diabetic neuropathy, researchers explained in background notes. “Two years after starting with using that stimulator device, they're still having the same quality of improvement as what we first saw,” said lead researcher Dr. WEDNESDAY, Ma(HealthDay News) - Electrical stimulation from a spinal cord implant can provide long-lasting relief for people with diabetic neuropathy, updated clinical trial results show. News for Healthier Living Spinal Cord Stimulation May Ease Diabetic Neuropathy