"Chronic back and leg pain sufferers in search of better pain relief options may have a new choice. According to a study published in the Online First edition of Anesthesiology the official medical journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists ASA patients who received a novel high frequency form of spinal cord stimulation SCS therapy experienced significantly greater longterm relief for both chronic back and leg pain when compared to a traditional low frequency form of SCS therapy.This is the first longterm study to compare the safety and effectiveness of high frequency and traditional SCS therapy for back and leg pain said Leonardo Kapural M.D. lead study author and professor of anesthesiology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and clinical director at Carolinas Pain Institute at Brookstown in WinstonSalem N.C. Chronic back and leg pain have long been considered difficult to treat and current pain relief options such as opioids have limited effectiveness and commonly known side effects. Given the prevalence of chronic pain high frequency SCS is an exciting advance for our patients.  SCS is an increasingly common therapy that delivers electric pulses to the spinal cord through a small device implanted under the skin for difficult to treat chronic pain in the trunk and limbs. SCS is reversible and is an important option for chronic pain sufferers who otherwise would rely on opioids or back surgery for relief. The new treatment called HF therapy uses proprietary high frequency pulses of  Hz compared to traditional SCS which uses frequencies of  to  Hz. HF therapy also provides pain relief without paresthesia  a stimulationinduced sensation commonly perceived as tingling or buzzing which masks a patients perception of pain  typical of traditional SCS. These sensations are often distracting or uncomfortable to patients and limit the utility and acceptance of traditional devices. Identifying a new intervention that does not rely on paresthesia to mask pain is novel to SCS and has the potential to improve pain relief and quality of life for these complex patients. In the study researchers examined  patients with chronic back or leg pain who were implanted at  comprehensive pain treatment centers. Of these  patients received HF therapy while  patients had traditional SCS.  At three months  percent of back pain and  percent of leg pain patients in the HF therapy group experienced a  percent reduction in pain or greater. Conversely only  percent of back pain and  percent of leg pain patients in the traditional SCS group experienced a  percent reduction in pain. None of the patients in the HF therapy group experienced paresthesia. HF therapy remained more effective than traditional SCS over the  month study period. More patients in the HF therapy group reported being very satisfied with their pain relief  percent versus  percent. More than . billion people worldwide suffer from chronic pain with lower back pain being the most frequent condition affecting  to  percent of the population.  THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANESTHESIOLOGISTS  Founded in  the American Society of Anesthesiologists ASA is an educational research and scientific society with more than  members organized to raise and maintain the standards of the medical practice of anesthesiology. ASA is committed to ensuring that physician anesthesiologists evaluate and supervise the medical care of patients before during and after surgery to provide the highest quality and safest care that every patient deserves.  For more information on the field of anesthesiology visit the American Society of Anesthesiologists online at asahq.org http To learn more about the role physician anesthesiologists play in ensuring patient safety visit asahq.orgWhenSecondsCount http"