Long-term Effects of Spinal Cord Stimulation Combined with Physiotherapist-led Exercise and Prescribed Physical Activity in Chronic Neuropathic Pain: A Clinical Review

Highlights

• Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) provides sustained neuropathic pain relief up to 21 months post-implantation.
• Add-on physiotherapist-led exercise programmes and physical activity prescriptions maintain initial benefits without further pain reduction or increased physical activity.
• Health-related quality of life shows significant improvement correlating with sustained pain relief.
• Physical activity levels measured objectively did not significantly increase despite structured interventions, suggesting complex barriers to activity in this population.

Background