Spinal Cord Stimulators and Opioid Use in Chronic Pain Patients

Abstract

Chronic pain affects approximately 55 million people in the United States (Nadeau, 2021). The treatment of chronic pain can include varying modalities such as chronic opioid therapy (COT), spinal cord stimulation (SCS), physical therapy, and surgery. Between 2019 and 2020, there was a 33% increase in opioid related deaths in adults aged 35-49 and 49% in young adults aged 15-24 (Mann, 2021). Patients that qualify for an SCS implant have diagnoses including complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS), lumbar or thoracic radiculopathy or chronic pain in the low back and legs. It has been suggested by research that patients experience a decrease in pain by using opioids in conjunction with or without an SCS. Though chronic pain cannot always be cured, it is important to understand the treatment options available to patients and how they may be impacted by these methods. The aim of this evidence-based practice brief is to examine the effects of opioids and SCS on pain in patients that qualify for a SCS. Nurses or other healthcare providers will be able to use this information to better understand treatment options and help patients live a higher quality of life.