Newswise — Investigators report that chronic pain patients using spinal cord stimulation (SCS) experienced pain relief, improvement in disability and sleep, and reduction in opioid use with fast-acting subperception therapy (FAST).
Manufactured by Boston Scientific, the FAST technology is used in the WaveWriter AlphaTM spinal cord stimulator. The company previously reported that the therapy proved effective across several studies, providing long-term benefits for up to three years. FAST works by targeting specific neural pathways, requiring precise stimulation and achieving pain relief within minutes of activating the novel waveform in patients with implanted spinal cord stimulators.
A team of researchers from multiple centers conducted the prospective clinical study to evaluate the effectiveness of FAST-SCS in patients suffering from chronic pain. The study followed participants at 3, 6, and 12-month intervals, measuring outcomes like pain reduction, patient satisfaction, disability levels, and opioid use.
The study found that, at the 3-month mark, 80% of patients achieved at least a 50% reduction in pain without increasing opioid usage. This success continued at 6 and 12 months, with 90% of patients experiencing sustained relief. On average, patients felt pain relief within 2.6 minutes. The investigators also reported significant improvement in disability and sleep, with a 28-point reduction in disability scores and over 84% of patients reporting improvement.
Lead investigator Magdalena Anitescu, MD, PhD, a professor of anesthesia and pain medicine at the University of Chicago, will present the results on November 23 at 10:45 am PT during the ASRA Pain Medicine 23rd Annual Pain Medicine Meeting at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, NV. The abstract, “Prospective, Multicenter Study Utilizing an SCS-System Designed to Engage Surround Inhibition Using FAST: 1-Year Outcomes,” was selected for one of three Best of Meeting awards. Coauthors are Eric Loudermilk, Drew Trainor, John Noles, Jennifer Lee, Sayed Wahezi, Derron Wilson, Lilly Chen, and Edward Goldberg.
ASRA Pain Medicine is a professional society of more than 5,000 health care professionals devoted to advancing evidence-based practice of pain medicine across the pain continuum, from acute pain to chronic pain. Our mission is to advance the science and practice of regional anesthesia and pain medicine to improve patient outcomes through research, education, and advocacy. Our vision is to relieve the global burden of pain. We are committed to integrity, innovation, inclusiveness, service, compassion, and wellness. Learn more at www.asra.com.
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