Borrowing from the ancient practice of Chinese acupuncture, a newly developed electrical nerve-stimulation technique may help alleviate pain associated with cancer that has spread to bones, disc disease and post herpetic neuralgia.

In the December issue of The Clinical Journal of Pain, UT Southwestern scientists detail findings that Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (PENS), a technique that involves the insertion of acupuncture-like needles into the soft tissue surrounding bones, produced significant acute pain relief in patients. During the procedure, a small electrical current is passed through the needles, apparently disrupting normal pain signals by stimulating local nerves.

Some cancers that spread to bone (bony metastases) can trigger severe chronic pain that is often unresponsive to analgesic drugs, including morphine. Researchers have found that PENS may reduce the need for narcotics and other more invasive procedures, such as spinal-cord stimulation, by becoming part of an interdisciplinary approach to treating pain associated with certain types of cancers and, eventually, other chronic conditions.

"Our goal is to complement, not eliminate, other pain-management techniques by introducing PENS as an integral part of a comprehensive patient-care program," said Drs. Paul White and William Craig , professors of anesthesiology and pain management at UT Southwestern. "By helping patients avoid the side effects and expense of more invasive procedures, we feel PENS can improve the quality of life of patients suffering from some cancer-related pain, as well as, other pain syndromes. 

"Pain is such a frustrating element to deal with, for both doctors and patients, which makes these preliminary findings all the more exciting. Any stride we can make in aiding the comfort of our patients, particularly those with terminal diseases, is an important one."

The patients reported that PENS cut their need for painkillers more than the other treatments did. PENS not only relieved their lower back pain, but also improved their physical activity, sleep quality and sense of well-being.

We believe that this approach to pain is on the medical forefront of pain management techniques.  It is our privilege to be the only center on the Virginia Peninsula that employs the new Craig-PENS therapy protocol.

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"91 percent of the patients rated PENS as the best of the methods tested and reported that as a result of treatment they had less back pain, less need for painkillers, better quality of sleep and improved capacity for physical activity. The patients reported that they began to feel better after three or four PENS treatments. In addition, the Texas researchers have found that PENS could work well for pain relief from other conditions, including cancer and shingles."

"There are obvious advantages to treating pain without drugs. You avoid potential side effects and don't run the risks associated with the need for higher and higher doses required for continued relief. So far, PENS appears to be the most promising type of electrical nerve stimulation and may be well worth trying if it is available at a medical center in your area."