Short-term peripheral nerve stimulation for pain relief in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 31, 2026
Regenerative Peripheral Nerve Interface: Surgical Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial in Postamputation Pain
Published on: March 15, 2024
Wentao Bai1, Chi Wai Cheung2, Yuchang Bao1
1Department of Anaesthesiology, School of Clinical Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Background:
Short-term peripheral nerve stimulation serves as a neuromodulation therapy that modulates neural activity to provide therapeutic benefit, particularly pain relief. This study investigated the effectiveness of short-term peripheral nerve stimulation as a minimally invasive approach for achieving pain relief.
Methods:
We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar from database inception till September 10, 2026, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in adults comparing short-term peripheral nerve stimulation with sham stimulation or usual care. The primary outcome was the change in average pain intensity during the implantation period.
Results:
Eight RCTs (543 participants) were included. Compared with the control group, the intervention group showed significant reductions in average pain intensity during the implantation period at 1-4 weeks (SMD = -0.48, 95% CI = -0.71 to -0.26, P < 0.0001) and 5-8 weeks (SMD = -0.96, 95% CI = -1.22 to -0.70, P < 0.0001), but no significant result after electrode removal. For worst pain intensity, the intervention group showed a greater reduction than the control group at all time periods except 1-4 weeks after EOT. Improvements in pain interference were delayed, becoming significant at 5-8 weeks during the implantation period (MD = -1.34, 95% CI = -1.86 to -0.82, P < 0.00001) and ≥8 weeks after the end of treatment (MD = -1.09, 95%CI = -1.69 to -0.50, P = 0.0003). Subgroup analyses showed improvements in postoperative pain. The usual care-controlled subgroup showed more pronounced and sustained benefits than the sham-controlled subgroup, and the chronic pain subgroup also showed more pronounced and sustained benefits compared to the acute/subacute pain subgroup.
Conclusion:
This meta-analysis provided preliminary evidence that short-term peripheral nerve stimulation may relieve pain during the implantation period, but not all outcomes suggest sustained improvements after electrode removal.
Registration Prospero:
CRD420251243978.
