Implanted Electrodes Soothe Severe Lower Back Pain

An electronic device inserted into the lower spine is showing promising results for Australians with extreme and persistent back pain.

A Melbourne sports physician has presented data from a trial of a new chronic pain therapy involving implantable electrodes that bring relief to 70 per cent of those who try it.

The treatment, called peripheral nerve stimulation, is designed for hard-to-treat patients who have failed to improve even after surgery, health club and Dr Bruce Mitchell said the results had been impressive.

"It's not the answer for everybody but for those it does work for, it's a godsend," Dr Mitchell said ahead of a presentation at the Australasian surgery conference in Hong Kong today.

Dr Mitchell trialled the device on his worst affected patients at Metro Spinal Clinic and found that 70 per cent responded well during a short-term, external test.

These 22 successful patients then had the tubular electrodes implanted under the skin within the major area of pain in the lower back and were given a remote control the size of a mobile phone that generates a pulse in the implant to stop pain.

With the flick of a switch the pained nerves are overwhelmed by a "pleasant buzzing sensation", Dr Mitchell said.

Almost 90 per cent reported a significant reduction in pain, with their pain levels dropping from an average of 7.1 out of 10 to 3.8.

"This is a very encouraging result as it is an area that is notoriously difficult to treat and surgery is often not the answer and sometimes makes it worse," he said.

"It improves quality of life and has also meant that people who have had a positive response to this treatment can reduce the amount of pain killers they are taking."

Dr Mitchell said complications like infection and displaced leads could arise from surgery to implant the device. He also said the $A30,000, US-made implant was still not widely available in Australia.

Statistics show one in five people suffer from the condition at some time in their life, with about 10 per cent experiencing debilitating pain.

"People with chronic back pain often have sleepless nights and miss hours of work, as sitting or lying down for long periods of times is one of the worst things you can do."