The idea of DRG stimulation is attractive because, unlike spinal cord stimulation, it only targets the affected nerves. A pain specialist sets the amount of current that it delivers according to the amount of pain a person experiences. Scientists implant the device, which looks like a small pacemaker, in the lower back under the skin.

This replaces extreme pain with a more bearable sensation, such as numbness or tingling. The effect is to block pain signals from reaching the brain.ĭorsal root ganglia are clusters of nerve cells - located on each side of the spinal vertebra - that relay pain and sensory signals coming from various parts of the body to the spinal cord and brain.ĭRG stimulation disrupts the signals by delivering small electrical pulses through a wire placed alongside the specific DRG associated with the source of the pain. Spinal cord stimulation treatment involves implanting a small device that sends low-voltage electrical impulses along a wire placed along the spinal cord. They reported “significant improvement in pain even after a year, which is notable,” he suggests, adding that, “For most, DRG stimulation really improved their quality of life.”Ī summary of the research is available in the ASA abstracts archive. McCarthy, who is a professor of anesthesiology at Rush Medical College, “had tried numerous therapies, from drugs to spinal cord stimulation to surgery, but got little to no lasting pain relief.” Those who received the DRG stimulation says lead author Robert J. The recent study evaluated the impact on pain and disability of permanent DRG stimulator implants in people with chronic pain in their lower extremities and back.

Unlike spinal cord stimulation, it avoids nerve fibers that convey messages from non-painful regions. The new therapy is called dorsal root ganglion (DRG) stimulation, and it works by targeting only the nerve fibers carrying signals from the source of pain. So, concludes a study from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL, that featured recently at the 2018 annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists in San Francisco, CA. Share on Pinterest Up to a quarter of people in America experience low-back pain every year.

Drg stimulator