Abstract
SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Chronic Pain is a prevalent condition that affects many people in the United States. Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) has been documented to help reduce perceived pain; however, few studies have analyzed the impact of perceived pain on opioid consumption before and after SCS. OBJECTIVES: This retrospective cohort study aimed to evaluate the impact of spinal cord stimulation on opioid consumption after permanent SCS implant. METHODS: This IRB-approved retrospective single-center study investigated the opioid consumption of 26 adults at three different times: (1) Initial date of service-baseline- (2) SCS implant date, and (3) 6 months post-SCS implant date. Mean opioid consumption was calculated over the month prior and after to visit of (1), (2), and (3) to generate 3 separate month averages. Opioid consumptions were measured using Morphine Milligram Equivalents (MME). To determine the difference in MME consumption from baseline to permanent SCS implantation, we conducted a series of paired-sample t-tests. RESULTS: Patients' MME significantly decreased from baseline (M = 52.63, SD = 45.07) to 6-months post-SCS implantation (M = 24.64, SD = 31.97, t (25) = 4.29, p < .001). The effect of this difference was large (d = 0.84). Whereas patients' morphine equivalents decreased from date of SCS implantation (M = 35.73, SD = 52.78) to 6-months post-SCS implantation (M = 24.64, SD = 31.97), this difference was not significant (t (25) = 1.66, p = .11) but yielded a small effect size (d = 0.34). DISCUSSIONS/CONCLUSION: In our study, patients using opioids for non-cancer pain management, SCS moderated the perception of pain neurocircuitry and noxious stimuli-manifestation, resulting in a reduced sense of pain and decreased opioid usage.