2023 Volume 30 Issue 4 Pages 79-83
The efficacy of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) for pain after spinal cord injury (SCI) has not yet been determined. We experienced a case of chronic pain after SCI which was successfully treated with Burst-SCS. The patient suffered from paraplegia below the traumatic 12th thoracic spinal cord injury and severe pain in both lower limbs. She had been treated with a tricyclic antidepressant, but intolerable arrhythmia had appeared. Therefore, SCS was performed for reducing the dosage of medication. The high potency of tricyclic antidepressants indicates that they can activate the descending inhibitory system of the spinal cord. It was considered that the provability of the high efficacy of Burst-SCS also reflects the remaining function of the descending inhibitory system.
