Pain is a tremendous burden for those who suffer with SCI. Persistent pain below or at the injury level is experienced in 2/3rd of chronic SCI patients. As a result of this pain at least 1/3rd of this sub-population faces a severely reduced quality of life; some authorities consider this rate to be much higher, based on surveyed pain ratings. It was reported that 23% of a sample patients with cervical or high thoracic SCI and 37% with low thoracic or lumbosacral SCI would sacrifice sexual, bowel and bladder function for good pain relief.