Applications of Neuromodulation in Pain Management

Abstract

Overall, both invasive and noninvasive neuromodulatory approaches have been explored in various patient populations with difficult-to-treat-chronic pain syndromes. Invasive neuromodulation has been reserved for carefully selected patients who do nol respond lo conventional pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments or noninvasive neuromodulation. Noninvasive neuromodulation wilh rTMS, iDCS, CES, or Motor imagery represents a patient-friendly, low-risk approach with a great clinical potential for specific chronic pain syndromes and patient populations in need of pain management. The future exploratory work in this field should navigate the development of the method specific and patient-population specific stimulation protocols and parameters, patient-tailored adjustments for specific cases, as well as the development of evidence-based guidelines for each neuromodulatory technique, in order to facilitate the implementation of neuromodulation to the clinical practice of pain management. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)