Spinal Cord Stimulation Cuts Pain, Improves Sensation With Diabetic Nerve Damage

FRIDAY, Sept. 18, 2026 (HealthDay News) — High-frequency spinal cord stimulation significantly reduces pain and improves sensory function in people with painful diabetic neuropathy, according to a study published online Sept. 9 in Diabetes Care.

Robert W. Hurley, M.D., Ph.D., from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and colleagues evaluated the effects of high-frequency 10-kHz spinal cord stimulation (10-kHz SCS) on pain and sensory function in individuals with painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN). The analysis included 91 participants randomly assigned to conventional medical management (CMM; 50 individuals) or 10-kHz SCS plus CMM (41 individuals).

The researchers found that in a modified intention-to-treat worst-case analysis, 27 of 34 participants in the 10-kHz SCS group who underwent a temporary trial achieved pain response of ≥50 percent lower-limb pain relief versus two of 50 CMM-alone participants. At six months, modified Toronto Clinical Neuropathy Score sensory improvement was seen for 16 of 29 (55.2 percent) 10-kHz SCS participants versus 12 of 48 (25.0 percent) CMM-alone participants. With 10-kHz SCS, the mean change in lower-calf intraepidermal nerve fiber density was 0.58 fibers/mm versus −0.07 with CMM alone. Eight of 10 hierarchical secondary end points were met, including sleep and quality of life.

“Pain relief was expected based on previous research, but the objective improvements in sensory measures and nerve-fiber density were particularly encouraging,” Hurley said in a statement. “These findings suggest there may be effects beyond symptom control, although we need longer follow-up to determine whether the changes persist and what they mean for patients.”

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