How effective is SCS for chronic pain?

There isn't a lot of evidence to show how well spinal cord stimulation works. It seems to help certain types of chronic pain, such as failed back surgery syndrome and complex regional pain syndrome. Spinal cord stimulation may also help chronic low back pain.

Some researchers have reported that more than half of people receiving spinal cord stimulation for chronic low back and leg pain, ischemic leg pain (for example, from peripheral arterial disease), or complex regional pain syndrome have pain reduction or relief.

Initial pain relief is often followed by a gradual decline in effectiveness, apparently caused by the body's increasing tolerance to the treatment.