1086 Enhancing Chronic Pain Management: The Role of Body Position in SCS Treatment

INTRODUCTION: Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) has become a key method in treating chronic pain, despite inherent challenges related to patient variability and optimal parameter settings. METHODS: We consecutively enrolled 33 chronic pain patients undergoing SCS treatment. Among them, 18 cases had post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), 5 cases had post-spinal cord injury pain, 4 cases had post-brachial plexus injury pain, 4 cases had diabetic foot pain, and 2 cases had postoperative pain. Patients underwent clinical assessment, baseline characteristic evaluation, and outcome assessment. Simultaneously, we systematically evaluated stimulation parameters, particularly focusing on adjustments for different body positions. RESULTS: All patients experienced pain relief following treatment and short-term follow-up. Among them, 16 patients required parameter adjustments due to changes in body position, showing distinct trends in stimulation frequency, pulse width, and voltage settings. Notably, patients stimulated below the 8th thoracic (T8) segment required adjustments to specific-position parameters for optimal comfort and efficacy. The SCS stimulated segments of the spinal cord were located below the 8th thoracic segment (T8) in 16 patients who required adjustment of the parameters due to postural changes. When the patient changes from the upright position to the sitting position and to the supine position, the stimulation parameters need to decrease accordingly. CONCLUSIONS: This study reaffirms the effectiveness of SCS in chronic pain management and underscores the impact of body position on parameter adjustments and treatment outcomes.