Neurológia pre prax 5/2013

Neurostimulation metods in the treatment of chronic pain

This article describes the neurostimulation methods used in the treatment of chronic intractable pain. There are two types of neurostimulation methods-invasive and noninvasive. For all methods are briefly described their physiological and pathophysiological mechanisms, technical parameters of stimulation and treatment indications.Invasive methods are: peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS), spinal cord stimulation (SCS), Motor Cortex Stimulation. (MCS) Non-invasive stimulation methods are: transcutaneous electrical nervous stimulation (TENS), repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Besides indications are described their advantages and disadvantages. There are mentioned the special centres in the Czech Republic, where these methods are implemented.

Keywords: chronic pain, methodology, pathophysiology and indications of -invasive and non-invasive neurostimulation methods.