title: Using cranial electrotherapy stimulation to treat pain associated with spinal cord injury.
abstract: Treatments for chronic pain in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) have been less than effective. Cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES), a noninvasive technique that delivers a microcurrent to the brain via ear clip electrodes, has been shown to effectively treat several neurological and psychiatric disorders. The present study examined the effects of daily 1-hour active CES or sham CES treatment (randomly assigned) for 21 days on pain intensity and interference with activities in 38 males with SCI. The active CES group (n = 18) reported significantly decreased daily pain intensity compared with the sham CES group (n = 20) (mean change: active CES = -0.73, sham CES = -0.08; p = 0.03). Additionally, the active CES group reported significantly decreased pain interference (-14.6 pre- vs postintervention, p = 0.004) in contrast to the nonsignificant decrease in the sham CES group (-4.7 pre- vs postintervention, p = 0.24). These results suggest that CES can effectively treat chronic pain in persons with SCI.
authors.affiliation: Pain Section, Anesthesiology (145), Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, 2002 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030, USA. tan.gabriel@med.va.gov
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Diana H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Rintala
authors.forename: John I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Thornby
authors.forename: June
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wade
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vasilev
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001921:Brain; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D059408:Pain Management; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications*