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Published on: May 10, 2017
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Peripheral nerve field stimulation for chronic headache: 60 cases and long-term follow-up
Paul Verrills1, Rebecca Rose, Bruce Mitchell
1Metro Spinal Clinic, Caulfield South, Vic., Australia.
Summary
Peripheral nerve field stimulation (PNFS) offers a promising treatment for chronic headache. This therapy effectively reduced pain, medication use, and disability in patients with intractable head pain.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pain Management
- Neurosurgery
Background:
- Chronic headache conditions represent a significant unmet medical need.
- Existing treatments for intractable headaches often have limited efficacy or significant side effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy and safety of peripheral nerve field stimulation (PNFS) as a treatment for chronic headache.
- To assess the impact of PNFS on pain levels, medication use, disability, and depression.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study involving 83 patients with chronic headache targeting specific nerve regions.
- Sixty patients proceeded to PNFS system implantation after a successful trial period.
- Outcomes assessed included pain reduction, analgesic use, depression, disability, patient satisfaction, and complications over a mean follow-up of 12.9 months.
Main Results:
- Significant average pain reduction of 4.8 points on an 11-point scale (p ≤ 0.001).
- Over 50% pain relief reported by 41 out of 60 implanted patients.
- Reduced medication use in 83% of patients, alongside improvements in disability and depression scores. Ten surgical revisions were needed, with no long-term complications.
Conclusions:
- Peripheral nerve field stimulation (PNFS) is an effective and reversible treatment option for chronic headache.
- PNFS demonstrates potential as a valuable pain relief strategy for patients with intractable headache conditions.
