Although Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) was not previously tested as a therapy for acute-onset pain, its utility as a salvage treatment in particular cases of uncontrollable postoperative pain has been explained in this report published in the journal of 'Pain Practise'.

The chronic pain syndromes due to degenerative and post-infectious changes in the cervical spine are already under significant management issues to neurosurgeons and pain practitioners. The recognition of an individualised treatment plan, astute surgical technique, comprehensive and multimodal analgesia and adequate rehabilitation processes do not necessarily diminished pain. The authors of this study- Lawson McLean A, Kalff R and Reichart R presented the case of a chronic pain patient treated surgically for degenerative cervical myelopathy secondary to cervical spinal stenosis. After this surgery, the patient had an intractable postoperative pain syndrome that had anatomical borders, an intensity and a character that differed to the background chronic pain from which they suffered. They were successful in implanting a cervical spinal cord stimulation (SCS) lead in the period following their stenosis surgery, which had a good therapeutic effect on the postoperative-onset pain. This is the first description of SCS having a strong positive impact on acute exacerbation of neuropathic pain.  The examination of the patient's pain diary depicted a modal pain intensity of NRS 3/10 over the preceding three months at a follow-up 12 months later. 

The Brief Pain Inventory (Short Form) scores in the pain severity domain at this point were 10/40 and 18/70 in the interference with the function domain, implying the long-term effectiveness of this SCS strategy.