Study unravels interplay between sleep, chronic pain and spinal cord stimulation
Spinal cord stimulation uses low levels of electricity to relieve pain. A study is the first to measure this treatment’s effects on patients by gauging improvement in insomnia after spinal cord stimulation. Results showed a 30 percent or more improvement of both nighttime and daytime components of insomnia in 39.1 percent of study participants and a 30 percent or more improvement of daytime sleepiness in 28.1 percent of participants. Findings correlated with improvement in disability and depression and revealed associations with sleep and both pain and depression. Results will help clinicians gain a better understanding of the type of patient most likely to benefit from this treatment.